The end of the cleanse

I am wrapping up my cleanse and I indulged in wine and other triggers this weekend and I feel awful. I did not juice Saturday or Sunday and I can totally tell.  I stayed in bed an extra hour, feel sluggish and overall just tired. So last night I headed back to the neighborhood co-op to pick up some of my favorite raw/cleansing yummies. Bubbie's pickles, raw onion bread and some sprouts. I am going to double up on green juice today and ask my body for forgiveness. I will continue to juice in the morning now that I see what happens when I don't. Also I have lost my mojo for coffee. I think that I really want the sugar/syrup that Starbucks offers in my Venti French Roast.

Although I didn't do exactly what Kris suggested, I really did have some great results from the cleanse.
I lost 12 pounds, realized that I really do have an addiction to sugar and I love green juice. (Which I already knew but it was reinforced). I wish I was better about blogging every day but it's not in me.

I am planning to this 21 cleanse again in July.  But this time I plan to do it with a group of people.

Day 9

My juice was dark green today. Out of apples so I put in carrots for sweetness, not the same. I add also the one lemon. The combo was OK but not the best I have ever had.
I used baby romaine, kale, celery, cucumber, ginger, carrots and lemon. I really missed my apple.

A new favorite

Soaked kelp noodles



Crack like spicy "peanut" sauce



My rainbow of veggies cukes, red cabbage, carrots, red & yellow peppers

Chopped nappa cabbage

Topped with kelp noodles-pour yummy crack sauce, I mean peanut sauce over salad.



Try not to eat it in all one sitting.

So the second week is going well. I have had some sugar and have seen negative effects from it. Sluggish, crabby and craving returned with the sugar. So goodbye to you.
I made this veggies, kelp noodle, spicy almond sauce and could not stay of of the sauce. So good!

A look at my garden

Romaine

Kale beautiful kale

Mint

My first fruit of the season

Both flat and curly parsley

Red cabbage

Basil my second love after kale

Here's some pictures I took this morning in my garden. Enjoy.

Week 1 wrap up

Well I have been meat, alcohol, sugar, caffeine and gluten free for a week. The biggest change has been the jumping out of bed in the morning instead of my usual lay there for 30-60 minutes before letting my feet hit the floor. My energy level is better although I still have a logy time in the afternoon. I am having some muscle pains that I have not had before. Is this some form of detox or is this my age? :)
I will have to say that meals are difficult as I am still preparing 2  meals for dinner for the rest of my family in the house. Prep time is taking up a lot of my time. But I feel pretty good. I really need to add more exercise into my routine.

Day 5

I woke up early. My husband made the comment that I am not only up early but my eyes are awake. It's true before I would lay in bed for at least an hour before getting up. Now when I wake up, I get out of bed right away. So far this is the biggest change I have noticed. I also think I am a bit of a  sugar addict. My mood has been all over the place. Today I didn't eat much and I wasn't real hungry until almost bed time. I am trying to be in bed by 11:30 at the latest. I am getting 7 hours of sleep every night which is perfect for me. The green juice is really helping with the caffeine withdrawal. I have been drinking water with lemon every morning as soon as I get up. I have been drinking my juice later than I would like do to others still being in bed early and I do not want to start the juicer and wake the dead. So I get everything ready and when all are up, I start that baby up. I also make myself clean the juicer before I drink the juice. Does anyone else do that? It's like a reward for me.
Here is the broccoli pate I made the other day.
The ingredients include: broccoli, tahini, ground flax seed, onion, garlic. It was pretty good. I think I put too much onion in and it got stronger the next day. I put it on Nori with peppers, sprouts and cukes and wrapped it up.

Day 2/3/4

Before

After

So I can't post everyday. But here's what has been happening with the cleanse.
 Day 2 went pretty well, I ate the same food as the day before. I started craving coffee this day. I woke up at 6:45am -really early for me. I went to bed at 11:30.

Day 3 was a little more difficult. I really started craving coffee and I believe sugar. I use cream and sweeteners with my java.  So I think that I wanted the sugar as much as my coffee. I was super crabby. I woke up early again. I started getting a headache and I had some tummy trouble. Which I believe to be detox.

Day 4 I woke up at 6 am. I see a pattern here. I think this might be the lack of sugar in  my system. I wonder if I am in a food coma every night and that is the reason I found it so difficult to get out of bed before. I went out with some friends and refrained from alcohol and bad food. Which was easier than I thought it would be. I am drinking green juice everyday, no gluten, alcohol, caffeine, meat and sugar. I had a little dairy the first day but none since. I need to get more water in. I am trying to plan what to eat daily to avoid old habits and grabbing something fast that might not be the best choice to help me cleanse.
I am glad that I made the raw cheeze its as they are great for my crunchy fix.
Here's what I am planning to make tomorrow.
Creamy Tomato Soup from Earth Mother on Raw Food Rehab

4 tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado
1/2 onion, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp agave
salt & minced hot peppers to taste

Combine ingredients in a blender and pulse until the desired consistency is reached – creamy or slightly chunky, as you prefer.

Grapefruit with hemp seed

Raw Cheeze Its

Day 1

Here's how the day went
Lemon water upon rising
1 Red Ruby grapefruit with a sprinkling of hemp seed
Over priced Green Juice at a juice bar $7! yikes Kale, parsley, carrots and pear

Lunch
Broccoli tahini pate from Raw Food Revolution --Yummy
Banana
Snacking on Raw Cheeze-its in the dehydrator (I hope there are some left at the end of the day)

OK dinner didn't go as planned.  I planned to make a raw soup but I went with the kids and friends bowling. I ate some of the black bean nachos. I had a little sour cream that I was not planning to eat but I am not beating myself over it.
I had a raw cacao macaroon for a evening snack.

I went to bed @ 11:30. Which is 2 hours earlier than usual. I took a walk. No coffee. No meat. I didn't meditate/pray for 20 minutes, it was closer to 5. I have to work on that.

So I thought day 1 went well. I didn't take pictures but I promise to today. Have a great day!

Ready to raw and roll

Upon waking I went to weight myself, battery is dead in the scale. Oh well, I had weighed in last week, so I will use that number. Filled glass of water with lemon, turning on computer and had problems posting in the comments of this blog. Checked e-mails, keyboard froze on AOL. I am beginning to hate AOL. Is this sabotage?  Maybe but I am not letting this spoil my mood this morning. I am focused and committed to see the 21 days through, so bring it!