Day 40: 

Juice: Surprising Sweetie

Surprising Sweetie:
2 Grapefruits
1 Thick Slice of Melon
1 Peach

This was a good juice! It was fruity and flavorful. (I'm sure in the summer this would be exceptionally delicious and refreshing).

As some of you may know I started a juice fast yesterday and I promised to pass on information to you: Can you workout on a juice fast?

As with most research about juice fasts in general there are a lot of view points pro and con. Most arguments really hinging on what type of fast one is doing - long term, short term, a cleanse targeting a specific internal organ like a colon cleanse. 

The arguments against exercising on a juice fast are mainly rooted in the fasting and cleanse mentality, which is to relax and revitalize. So if you're going to do a cleanse or do a reset its good to take care of your body - to relax. The cleanse process especially early on can bring with it a lot of aches and pains as you body retrieves the toxins. Also, you wont be taking in as much food as normal and strenuous workouts could stress your system, which might be counter productive to the cleanse process.

The arguments for exercising on a juice fast champion that exercise (usually light exercise) as a way to help keep the body active and strong as well as getting the lymphatic system going. The lymph system is part of the circulatory system consisting of a network of organs throughout the body and is an important part of the body's immune system. Lymph nodes, in fact, filter foreign material out of the body (like bacteria and cancer cells) and produce immune cells in the body. (Source)
So, exercise helps the lymphatic system circulate and can help cleanse the body faster, but again most of this research is arguing for light exercise.

I really only found one source discussing the topic of "intense" workouts while on a juice fast. Nina Cherie, a health and wellness PhD, posted an interesting article about this on her website: http://ninacheriephd.com/. During which, she sites her own experience on a juice fast which she started on a day she had to get a spin instructor certification. She said she kept the juice and water flowing all day - constantly drinking - and at the end of the day "felt invigorated." She goes through numerous examples where she felt strong and energized even though she was on a fast and breaks down her theory as to why this happened.

The main thing I found was people - experts and laymen alike - reiterating that you should listen to your body. If it's too much, it's too much. Relax a little and let you body do it's thing. The most important thing it to help your body through this cleanse, not give it more stuff to deal with.

Here is some of the articles I found:

• How to Exercise During a Juice Fast

• Intense Exercise Training During a Juice Fast? Is That Even Possible?

• Water is the Most Important Element in Having a Healthy Lymph System.

Emotional Lifestyle:

Day 2 of Juice Fast:

Yesterday was definitely hard. I was hungry a lot - much more than Day One - and I began to have some muscle stiffness and back pain, which it on the list of things to expect: Common Physical Reactions to Fasting. The coated tongue also arrived yesterday. For those of you unfamiliar with the coated tongue, it is when you tongue builds up a little white residue (I hate this cause it makes you breath smell, so keep the mouth wash handy) but it is the sign that your body is detoxing. Your digestive system is working through all its junk, which is exactly what I want it to do, but man I wish the tongue wasn't a part of it.
Here is some good information about it:

• How to Determine Detox Duration. 
• Tips for Getting Rid of the White Coating on your Tongue 

I also felt my resolve start to waver....already. Oh Man, this it gonna be hard. But ultimately, after my extensive research, I have found no evidence that a longer fast is a better cleanse. I pretty much have found that when you're done, you're done. So, I am gonna listen to my body on this one.

Day 37:

Juice: Grapefruit Blues

Grapefruit Blues:
2 Grapefruits
1 Large Handful of Blueberries

Okay. So, a lot of the fruits featured in these juices currently are out of season right now. I know people will claim that nothing is out of season anymore, but that's just not true. Even though the berries you get from the store may look like blueberries - we all know they don't taste like summer fresh blueberries. They also don't have the same nutritional content as those berries in the summer.
[I covered blueberries and berries in general in Entry 15 & Entry 16]

Eating seasonally is important for many reasons, but especially if you want good nutritional value. Now, summer is a cake walk. All the good stuff is around in the summer, right? Fall is pretty good too, but suddenly we get to winter and all there really is are root vegetables. I'm sorry, what?! And Spring isn't much better, maybe even worse with the fresh fruits and vegetables we all know and love. How can you do this? Well, I started by doing some research.

When people (nutritionist, ecologists and Cosmo magazine - yeah, I read an article once) tell you to eat seasonally, they are doing this because not only is good for the environment it is good for you.  The most sited evidence for this is a study done in London in 1997 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The study found significant differences in the nutrient content of pasteurized milk in summer versus winter. "The Ministry discovered that these differences in milk composition were primarily due to differences in the diets of the cows." (Source) It was also found by researchers in Japan that the differences in the vitamin C content of spinach harvested in summer versus winter was three-fold.

Think about it.

Seasonally was the only way to eat for most of the human existence. Raw and unfettered fruits and vegetables. Now, sure the average lifespan was much shorter, but they didn't have the same amount of chronic disease or autoimmune disease (it was around, just not as prolific). Now we have modern technology - which I love. Don't get me wrong here, modern medicine can do a lot and I am truly thankful for that! But, wouldn't it be wonderful if we (our society) didn't have to ever use it.
Just because we can doesn't mean we should, right? This is great advice for HBO. So, eating with the seasons demands you diversify your food and your nutritional intake, which has been proven everywhere, to improve your health. Variety is the spice of life.

World's Healthiest Foods (one of my favorite websites) provides a seasonal guide:

• Spring: 
• Focus on tender, leafy vegetables that represent the fresh new growth of this season. The greening that occurs in springtime should be represented by greens on your plate, including Swiss chard, spinach, Romaine lettuce, fresh parsley, and basil.
• Summer:
•  Stick with light, cooling foods in the tradition of traditional Chinese medicine. These foods include fruits like strawberries, apple, pear, and plum; vegetables like summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and corn; and spices and seasonings like peppermint and cilantro.
• Fall: 
• Turn toward the more warming, autumn harvest foods, including carrot, sweet potato, onions, and garlic. Also emphasize the more warming spices and seasonings including ginger, peppercorns, and mustard seeds.
• Winter: 
• Turn even more exclusively toward warming foods. Remember the principle that foods taking longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. All of the animal foods fall into the warming category including fish, chicken, beef, lamb, and venison. So do most of the root vegetables, including carrot, potato, onions and garlic. Eggs also fit in here, as do corn and nuts. 

 

Emotional Lifestyle: 

It is on. I am gonna do a juice fast and I think it's gonna be a long one (21-30 days). I know! So, I am researching, getting prepared, but it is happening in March. Get ready, because all of you will be privy to real time updates on this blog...stay tuned. 

Day 35:

Juice: Grapefruit Basic Sharp

Grapefruit Basic Sharp:
1 Grapefruit
1 Apple
2 Carrots
1 Stick of Celery
1 Inch of Ginger

Okay, so this is kind of cheating because this is practically the same juice as last time. Sorry, but I am going by the book. So, instead of talking about the ingredients I've already been over, today I am going to answer a question I got from a reader.

The question: 

How do you make Nut Milk (like Almond, Cashew, etc...) with your juicer?

You may have strolled through of your local grocery store and seen a full shelf dedicated to nut milk. Lately, it has become a popular alternative to dairy milk due to it's high nutritional content.
However, the problem with the most of the nut milk in stores is that they have been pasteurized. Through the pasteurization process, nut milk looses most - if not all - of its nutrients. Hence why they fortify it with vitamins. So, it is much better to make it yourself. This way you know exactly what you're eating.

1.) Have the right equipment:
To make nut milk I recommend you use a blender or a slow juicer like a Hurom Juicer. You can use a centrifugal juicer, like mine, but it proved to be more wasteful than the blender, so I use the blender. 

Left: Non-Centrifugal Juicer - Shown there is a Hurom Slow Juicer, but any non-centrifugal juicer will do.  
Center: Blender - Any blender will do. A Vitamix is a blender - not a juicer - so feel free to use it here. (I use a Magic Bullet).    
 Right: Centrifugal Juicer -  Most juicers are Centrifugal. The one shown above it the juicer I use Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro.

2.) Get fresh, raw nuts of your choosing (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc...).

3.) Soak the in nuts water for at least 4-6 hours. More is not a problem. One recipe I found said to soak them overnight. (A lot of sources online say to do it with filtered water - just to keep it extra clean)

4.) Process the nuts through your equipment:

• Hurom Juicer: Pour the hydrated nuts into juicer, place a bowl or glass underneath. 1 cup of nuts should yield 1/2 cup of milk (so I have read since I use a blender). 
• Blender: Place the hydrated nuts in the blender with water (or filtered water): 1 cup of water to 1 cup of nuts. *Note: anything you'd like to add to the milk (i.e. honey, cinnamon, vanilla) this is the time to add it. Process until thoroughly blended. Next you will need a nut milk bag or cheesecloth.

Cheesecloth

Nut Milk Bag

Place the cheesecloth or nut milk bag over a bowl and pour the blended mix over/into the material. It will catch the pulp. You may have to do it several times if you are making a lot of milk.

• Centrifugal Juicer: Pour the hydrated nuts into the juicer - I have read that pouring a cup of water into the juicer first helps with the process. 

 5.) Store the milk in a glass container (glass containers are the best for storing juice of all kinds) and in the refrigerator. Homemade nut milk will store safely for 48 hours (though some sources claim 72 is still okay). So, your best bet is to just enjoy the milk quickly.


Enjoy some nut milk for me friends and let me know how it all turns out!!

Happy Juicing!

Day 30:

Juice: Bellyful

Bellyful:
3 Apples
1/4 White Cabbage
1/4 Small Fennel Bulb
1 Small Bunch of Mint

This is a warm, yet crisp and very refreshing. This is a great mid-morning snack. Sweet enough that it still feel like breakfast, but substantial enough that it can pass for lunch. 

Fennel, my dear friends fennel or foeniculum vulgare. A vegetable I really had never eaten until recently. Fennel is a hardy perennial (a plant which grows back every year) and a member of the  Apiaceae family (formerly the Umbelliferae) - meaning it is related to carrots, parsley, dill and more - like over 3,000 more species. Needless to say it is a large family.

Fennel looks kinda like a cleaner, nicer version of celery root. It is a white or pale green blub with stalks protruding from it, which are topped with feathery green leaves. In season during, both fall and spring, but fennel can be found all year long in most stores around the US. However, you may find the taste is the best during the spring and fall.

Fennel is crunchy in texture and slightly sweet and has an anise-like taste. Often fennel and anise are listed as the same plant by people (mainly on the internet), however they are not the same plant. They are related - both members of the Apiaceae Family (I told you it was a large family), but they are different plants. The confusion stems from the fact that "the whole plant (bulb, stalks, fronds) of fennel is consumed while it is usually just the seeds from the anise plant that are eaten..." (Source)

Fennel Seeds

Fennel is an amazing vegetable resource to have in your fridge. Full of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, folate (also called Folic Acid is a B-complex vitamin) and a variety of other phytonutrients, fennel has a wide variety of health benefits. The essential oils in fennel - the oils that give fennel its anise smell - "stimulate secretion of digestive and gastric juices, reduce inflammation of stomach and intestines and facilitates proper absorption of nutrients from the food" (Source), aiding any symptoms of indigestion, constipation, flatulence, diarrhea. In fact, chewing fennel seeds after a meal is a common practice in India.  Hence the name of this wonderful juice. Fennel has also been shown to help with colic, respiratory disorders, menstrual disorders, eye care, bad breath, hair loss and more, so it is not just for the intestinal track.

Emotional Lifestyle:

Recently, I watched a very interesting and disturbing documentary called Farmageddon (2011). It is about small farms being unlawfully forced to shut down by the USDA for unexplained reasons (most of the time). It is a little long an repetitive, but the information is sound. It is an interesting look at the government attempting to control what people eat, by controlling one's access to it.

If you are from New York, this has been a big topic here, as Mayor Bloomberg has been trying to put in laws about soda and junk food. However, this documentary is looking at small farms all around the country who are providing healthy, organic food for (mainly) their local communities and are being shutdown. Even when a farm has the right paperwork and their animals tested, the government has been threatening, harassing and killing livestock on these farms...for what reason?...it is often unexplained by anyone. It is interesting (though a little long), but definitely worth the time. 

Day 15:

Juice: Apple Blues

Apple Blues:
3 Apples
2 Handfuls of Blueberries

"Kaplink, Kaplank, Kaplunk"
- Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey

Blueberries!

A summertime favorite for me. Nothing says July like Blueberry Pie. Nowadays, Blueberries they can be enjoyed all year long, not just in the summer months.

The blue bulbs are actually one of the few fruits native to North America. They are perennial flowering plant from the Vaccinium family. 

Well loved by Americans, Blueberries have been widely lauded for their "antioxidant capacities". Full of micronutrients like dietary minerals: manganese, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and more, and  vitamin C, vitamin K as well as a healthy dose of dietary fiber, blueberries pack quite a nutritional punch. 

In recent studies, Agnes M. Rimando a Research Chemist at the Natural Products Utilization Research (with the USDA) states that some of the nutrient components in blueberries - mainly pterostilbene (pronounced "tare-o-STILL-bean") (Source) - may help fight heart disease, cancer and cholesterol. She theorizes that "constituents in blueberry skins that can activate a protein involved in the breakdown and import of fats." (Source).

So, not only a guilt free treat (blueberries are low glycemic), but also a great idea for you bodies daily function.

Emotional Lifestyle:

Okay, so the other night I watched the documentary Mansome (2012) by Morgan Spurlock - the documentarian who made Supersize Me. Yes, he has made other documentaries. Mansome is an attempt to look at the 'recent' identity crisis of men in the American culture through increasing popularity of 'manscaping'. Urban Dictionary defines Manscaping as "to groom a man. Shaving, waxing, cleaning up the superfluous fur." (Source) So, it is mainly about male hair.
Interested? It's on Instant Netflix.

Now, for those of you that have read my earlier posts or know me personally, you may have gleaned my position on this issue, but on the female side. However, I too have noticed the change. In the media and in the real world.

As a whole, the documentary is...okay. I just didn't think it did well "tying it all together". The attempt at transitions was a witty and sarcastic repartee between Jason Bateman & Will Arnett (who were actually executive producers for the film) while spending a day at the spa. Now, while this was hilarious and very Arrested Developmenty (LOVE the show), I think it detracted from what the documentary wanted us to look at. It put you in the mood to laugh at ridiculousness, so when we were supposed to be learning about why men of today's world would buy a product called "Fresh Balls" (which keeps the boys fresh day and night) or why a guy's beard is so important to him that he lives his life around it's maintenance and attends facial hair competitions, we were ready to laugh at it instead of actually look at it. I would have preferred to hear their actual thoughts and ideas on the issue.

But some of the individual segments are definitely interesting.
One of the women interview, Dr. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist. (http://www.helenfisher.com/) During an interview in the documentary says makes note that men throughout history and many cultures have always been into there appearance - no dispute here. She then goes on to say, but now men are "allowed" to care about their appearance - okay.

'Allowed'? Or a commercial market now being played by our capitalistic society to buy material products and make other men/women rich?


Another interviewer (and I can't remember his name) mentioned that men's magazines are now playing on the insecurities of men, the way women's mags have been working over women for a long time. So, are they really being 'allowed' to do something they always wanted to do or covertly coerced?

...Welcome to the emotional bombardment boys! Bring your A Game. You'll need it...

Day 12: 

Juice: Apple Cleanser

Apple Cleanser:
2 Apples
2 Kale Leaves
1 Stick of Celery
1/3 Long Cucumber
1/2 Beet


I love this juice. I have had it before, when I was on my eight day juice fast. It is refreshing, a little sweat and crammed with goodness.

A lot of new ingredients today, but I am not going to talk about any of them. My blog went public yesterday (aka on facebook and a couple of emails I sent out) and I've already got a lot of comments and suggestions. Thank you! But, I did see a theme in a lot of the comments/ questions. A lot of people wanted to know about my juicing equipment. I covered this a bit in first entry, but I thought I'd go over it again and get a little more into it.

Juicing is when the liquid (juice) is extracted from plant tissues (fruits and vegetables). In order to do this you need a juicer - not a Magic Bullet, Vitamix, or blender. If it doesn't separate juice from pulp than is not a juicer.

*Please note: I will get to smoothie recipes later in the book, but right now it is juice.*

Juicers range in price from thirty dollars to thousands of dollars. Be careful with the low end ones - not only can they be shotty - but they can be small and you'll have to dice all of you vegetables before putting them in. And who wants to do that?

I use a Hamilton "Big Mouth" Juicer. About $50.00 on Amazon.

I researched juicer models extensively before...well putting it on my Christmas list and letting my mother buy it for me...and I encourage you to do the same. I found the Hamilton "Big Mouth" Juicer to be the best on the market for a price I could afford. I have had it for almost a year and I have no complaints so far. As long as you are diligent at cleaning your juicer, it will last.

However, one day I am hoping to get my hands on a Breville Juicer (Breville Juicers On Amazon.com). Breville's are (according to many juice blogs and websites) the best on the market.

Most fruits and vegetables can be juiced with the skin on, but alas the skins are often waxed and carrying a lot of the pesticides used to farm them. So. buy organically whenever possible. If you cannot, which happens (I get it) then be sure to buy a vegetable scrubber  and produce wash before juicing. This is a brand I like: http://www.vermontsoap.com/vegwash.shtml.

               Produce Wash & Produce Scrubber



Now, most people recommend preparing, cutting, washing everything before storing it in your fridge or cupboards. Apparently, people are less likely to juice if everything isn't ready to go. However, I have not found this to be true, but if you suspect you might be one of these people try prepping it all right after you buy it.

I just pull out what I need and prep it right before it.

*Note: I peeled my cucumber since it was not organic and I am out of Produce Wash.

I then chuck it all into the juicer - usually greens and celery (the fibrous stuff) go in between  the apples and cucumber, so they don't clog up the juicer.

 *Note: The Key Foods bag is in the pulp catcher because I'm lazy and don't want to wash it. So, instead, I just tie it up and throw it all away.

Foam/ froth on the top of juice is normal. Separation (which you can't really see here) within juice is normal.








I usually just give it a little stir and voila! Yum.

Any other questions? Too many pictures? Comments?

Extras:
Good Books: The Juiceman's Power of Juicing (Known as the bible of juicing), Juicing for Life  and The Juicing Bible
Good Movies: Food Matters and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (Both are on instant Netflix)
Websites: All About Juicing (http://www.all-about-juicing.com/) and The Worlds Healthiest Foods (http://www.whfoods.com/)

Emotional Lifestyle: 

I know this has been making the rounds all over town, but I wanted to interject some thoughts.

Firstly, they keep calling The Guy who wrote the letter a bully...but I don't think he is. I think he is a normal judgmental human who has his priorities all messed up. He probably thought his letter was going to be news to her. He probably thought he was 'helping', so I don't think it can be called 'bullying'. At least in my mind, bullying is something hurtful one does just for the sake of being hurtful...I hope that makes sense.

Secondly, this doesn't surprise me in the least, especially that it came from a man. I wonder if this email would have been written to a male anchor, probably not. Working at the museum, giving tours, I show images of families - both fathers and mothers - and an interesting thing that I have seen is the willingness and the freedom people have when commenting on females bodies. Both Men and Women are guilty in this, but Older Men are the most frequent. I show pictures of the fathers and mothers, who were poor. Father is shown - nothing. Mother is shown - everyone is twittering and commenting: "Well, she doesn't look like she's starving"
Yeah, well, thank god for that. These women weren't allowed to work outside the home, they weren't allowed to vote, they watched their children die of diseases, they died themselves in childbirth and yet....the only thing people can conjure up is THAT.

It used to infuriate me to no end, especially being a woman standing there in front of their judgmental eyes, until a colleague (who is the best) told me to fire back asking: "Interesting. Does that make them less sympathetic to you know that you see she wasn't 'starving'?" BAM! I know.
Except what I realized, sadly, as I asked people this is...they didn't even realizing they were making a huge judgement based on physical appearance until I said something. It was habitual.
So, to me this says, this is so rooted in our culture that people haven't really thought about it in a while.

It is so rooted, that a clearly, well-spoken, intelligent woman, who is a successful television anchor (which is no small potatoes for anyone, let alone being outside the Hollywood body type) somehow in the realm of our culture could be considered a 'bad influence' because she is 'fat'.  Somehow all of the skills, which she so clearly possesses, are void because of her external appearance. 

Thirdly, I read this fantastic article in the New York Times the other day.
Title: In ‘Obesity Paradox,’ Thinner May Mean Sicker

Day 7: 

Juice: Sweet 'n' Savoury

Sweet 'n' Savoury:

3 Apples
2 Sticks of Celery

Sweet and Salty, a famous combination. Celery is another food, like ginger, I cannot stand, mainly because of the strings. Yuck. But celery juice is one of the most refreshing juices you can make. It alone is wonderful, but I prefer it mixed with other wonderful things.

It has been hard for historians to ascertain when celery became a cultivated plant. Celery leaves were discovered in Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb (died 1323 BC), but it cannot be told weather it was cultivated or wild. Wild celery has been reference throughout history, mainly as a grass for grazing animals. But somewhere in there it started to be cultivated, not only for the stalks but also for the root of the plant - Celery Root. The big, knobby lookin' thing. The entire plant is and can be used for food, seasoning and medicinal purposes, but most people typically only use the stalks.

For celery juice, one should used the entire stalk, leave and all. The root can be a bit hard on the juicer (at least the cheaper one I have), so I say stick with the stalk. You wont regret it, because celery juice, even without the root, is incredibly nutritious. It is chock full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin K, also known as the "clotting vitamin" because without it blood wouldn't clot. It has also been proven to help maintain strong and healthy bones, especially in older adults. (More on Vitamin K).

Celery is also rich in organic sodium, which is soluble, unlike any kind of processed salt. This helps your body absorb other nutrients and help you stay hydrated. (Source Material) This makes celery juice a great re-hydration drink, a healthier alternative to Gatorade. Celery Juice also helps fight cancer, lowers cholesterol, aids in digestion, is an anti-inflammatory, lowers blood pressure, prevent stones and many other ailments. Celery Juice is a powerful health tool to have in your back pocket.
(Great Article About Celery Juice).   

Day 5:

Juice: Orchard Blend

Orchard Blend:

3 Apples
1 Pear

I love whenever pears are in a juice. It is just extra delicious! Not only in taste, but also in texture. When juiced, pears are frothy and creamy.

Pears are natives of China which have now migrated around the world. Like apples (and many other foods), Pears where brought to America by European colonist. These fruits come in all shapes and sizes and are full of phytonutrients (also called phytochemicals), especially vitamin C. A medium sized pear contains 10% of your daily need for vitamin C. They are also rich in fiber, which helps you feel full longer, so they are a good snack for a long day.

Pears skins have been proven to carry as much as "three to four times as many phenolic phytonutrients as the flesh". So don't peel them, because that skin carries antioxidants, anti-inflammatory flavonoids (more on flavonoids). Studies have shown that pears can help decreased risk of several common chronic diseases that begin with chronic inflammation and excessive oxidative stress. These diseases include heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (More on the health benefits of Pears).

This juice is frothy, sweet and works at all times of the day.

Emotional Lifestyle:

I love British Television. Always have. My parents too, so maybe it is genetic. But this clips is from one of my favorite sketch shows: The Mitchell and Webb Look.

Day 4:

Juice: Basic With A Boost

Basic With A Boost:

3 Apples
2 Carrots
1/2 inch (1 cm) of Ginger Root
1 teaspoon of Spirulina

Combined all of the juices that have been done so far and a chunk-o-ginger and voila - Basic with a Boost! If you want to know about the health benefits of including Apples, Carrots, and Spirulina to you juices - please see previous posts.

Ginger, however, is our new friend on the block - an extremely versatile friend. Native to China, where it has been used as a cooking spice for at least 4,400 (but whose counting), Ginger is now cultivated and used throughout the world. Medicinally, ginger is used for all sort of ailments, from the common cold, stomach cramps and nausea to some types of cancer. Rich in volatile oils and phenolic compounds (aromatic compounds found in some essential oils; possess strong antiseptic and antibacterial properties and also act as nerve stimulants and immuno-stimulants) as well as, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, carminative (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract).

Now, I cannot stand ginger normally. I don't really like food spiced with ginger and I definitely do not like it dried or raw...however, in juices I usually can handle it. Now sometimes I'll put in less than is called for, but there's no crime in that.

For this juice, it is a peppy addition to the drink. It gives it some kick, heightens the flavor, but also has a soothing effect. So, peppy, but not too peppy.

Emotional Lifestyle:

I bought a new dress last week. Well, three new dresses actually. In a half an hour I dropped $90 on three new dresses, but it was needed. Now normally, I'm not a huge dress person. Every now and again - sure. Everyday at work all summer long - I'm not a fan. But here's the annoying part...ready for it...I give tours in a building built in the 1860's, therefore no air conditioning. You're thinking "Okay right, that makes sense," but the corporation I work for forbids women from wearing shorts (I am referring to suit shorts or some nice Bermudas, not soffe shorts or gym shorts). Nope. Men get to wear shorts. Women do not. But...I digress...
I bought these dress and I was into them. They were great fits for my body type. Then, since I stand all day and have Plantar Fasciitis, I went and bought some ComfortPlus black pumps from Payless. I had to buy the pumps over the mary-janes. For some reason I abhor mary-jane style shoes. I don't know why, but I think it happened somewhere in my youth. So, I bought these cute black pumps with a small heel. Great right?
Go to work. Lots of my co-workers are complementing me on my dress. Yay.
Give four tours. Lots of old ladies are complementing me on my shoes. Shit.

Day 3: 

Juice: Ocean Deep

Ocean Deep:

4 Apples
1 Teaspoon of Spirulina Powder

Oceans Deep is good ole Apple Juice with a boost of Spirulina, one of the worlds super-foods.

Spirulina has actually been reclassified as Arthrospira, but the colloquial term of Spirulina has remained. Regardless, Spirulina is a free-floating blue-green algae found in tropical and subtropical lakes with a high PH. It is believed that the Aztecs were using this wonderful little plant some 400 years ago. Why? Because it is chock full of vitamins, minerals, carotenoids (More About Carotenoids), antioxidants and a healthy dose protein. Nowadays, Spirulina is farmed is controled environments so we, the people, can enjoy the benefits all year long. *But PLEASE make sure you research the brands before you buy it.* Being an algae it is subject to the water it is grown in, so it can absorb heavy metals and toxins, which is no good. The opposite of what we want to do.

Being an algae, it has a deep greenish blue coloring which instantaneously make everything you add it to green as well, but don't be put off by the color because in a teaspoon you are getting: "B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid)". (More about the Health Benefits of Spirulina). Whoa, right? Basically it is an immune boosting cocktail.

So it should come as no surprise that mixing a spoonful of this little algae blended with the sweet (maybe tart, depending on the apples you use) can have immense nutritional benefits, helps you body detox the bad, great for your skin and...it's delicious. Especially on a dreary morning when you don't want to get outta bed. It'll give you the kick in the pants you need to take on the day.

Totally gung-ho about Spirulina? Check out this great paper I found about the Nutritional and
Therapeutic benefits: (It is a PDF).

Emotional Lifestyle:

Okay, so I have a crazy busy day today. You know, like leave the house at 8am and get back at 11+pm, depending on the trains of course. So, I am writing this all day at home this morning, at work, at a coffee shop and on a late night train...yay... 
But I find these days that hardest to eat healthy and fuel my body for the day. I have been trying to ween myself from 3+ cups of coffee to one and occasionally a second, so now it's even worse. However, this morning I am determined to be an adult about this and plan. I packed a lunch and every thing I could need throughout this day.

Thus my purse becomes my turtle shell. The house I carry on one shoulder.
 I had:
Work shoes: heels to wear for giving tours and sneakers for commuting (a true working girl).
Food: snack, lunch, snack dinner.
Phone: not an iphone - I have an LG Cosmos, so basically a 16 year-old's phone. The kind that slides into a keyboard. Yeah. That's right. It was free from Verizon. 
Drawstring bag: Deodorant, Lotion, roll-perfume (for those afternoon applications) and emergency vitamins, you know, essentials for anywhere you go.
Make-up bag: - Make-up (but to be honest I don't really used it), hair ties (used them for sure) and chapstick (I am addicted to Bert's Bees Chapstick!).
iPod & iPod Touch: Got an iPod Touch for my birthday, but it doesn't hold all my music, so I like to bring both just in case. Also, I was afraid the batter might fail on the iPod Touch.
Wallet: which it totally falling apart. In the metropolis that is NYC somehow I have not come across another wallet I like.
Sunglasses & case: because, obviously, my $5 dollar sunglasses from target could get crushed without a case.
Reading Glasses & Distance Glasses: Yep, I'm an old woman. Just call me Ethel.
Keys: For my house, obvi.
Gum: For my breath, obvi.

It was ridiculous...and heavy...and I saw about eight or nine other girls on my subway car with purses like mind, bursting at the seams with junk. And it struck me...1.) Planning sucks 2.) Did I actually need all of that? Did they need all of that? 
No.
I didn't need it, though, as you just read, I had a lovely excuse or reason for each item. So, this morning and most mornings I feel like I do. But maybe part of a "healthy lifestyle" - or at least a sane one without massive shoulder pain - is being able to let stuff go. I'm not trying to go all "leave the material world behind you" on you, but I think people may plan to much. I know it isn't nice to smell, but do I really need deodorant and perfume? Or heaven forbid my hands get dry and cracked...however will I survive a day with dry hands? A whole make-up kit, when chapstick is all I use from it.

I think tomorrow I'm gonna try and lighten the load.

Day 2: 

Juice: Apple Basic 

Apple Basic

3 Apples
2 Carrots

An classic. It is also known as Crapple Juice.
In New York City most corner stores that have "fresh juice" advertised in the window serve this. It is a great one to get on the go. Carrot and Apples a re cheap and easily accessible. This is a wonderful intro juice to the juicing world. It was, in fact, my very first juice.

Carrots are wonderful. You will usually find them as the base ingredient in most vegetable juices and in vegi-fruit crossovers.
Why?
Because they are a great texture for juicing and packed with vitamin fun! If you eat seasonally carrots are available locally in the summer and fall, but for the most part can be found all year round. Thought carrots come in a variety of colors, we usually think of them at orange. Carrots are rich with phyto-nutrients and antioxidants, mainly in the form of beta-carotene which helps your body protect cells from damage. Eating fruits and vegetables has been shown to lower one's risk of getting "some cancers and heart disease". It is also great for your skin, but if you eat too much your skin could actually turn a yellowish orange. It's harmless, but looks like you got a spray tan. For More on Beta-Carotene: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/beta-carotene 

So mixing this amazingly versicle and nutritious vegetable with the a powerhouse fruit, like an apple (feel free to check out yesterdays post about apples), would create a juice that would be great for your skin, detoxing out junk and perking you up. So, I guess the real question is: Why wouldn't you make it.
 For More on Carrots Health Benefits in general:http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21

Emotional Lifestyle

I cleaned my apartment today. Phew.
I know everyone talks about the cathartic "Spring Cleaning" after the long winter, but I highly recommend a fall cleaning. Today was the first day cool enough without the horrid humidity we've been having all summer (humidity is the bane of my existence) and it was wonderful, magical even. I had forgotten what it was like to step outside and not become instantly clammy feeling my hair curling and frizzing upwards.
It was so great to fling open all the windows and let the fresh air. I feel like fresh air and sunlight keep one grounded and sane. Even if I had an awful day, if it's nice out I can think better. I mean I know chemically the Sun gives us Vitamin D which helps with moods, so I suppose that's true for most people.
Fall is my favorite season. The weather is nice. Not too hot, not too cold. The colors are wonderful. Not just the leaves, but also the sunlight as the days start to get shorter. But, honestly...it's the time for zip-ups. I LOVE zip-up coats. The thinner fall jackets, hoodies, sweaters, whatever...if it has a zipper on the front hood or no hood, I'll love it. (Though in a perfect world it has a hood with drawstrings). Zip-ups are amazing, because you can control the temperature, right?
Too hot - unzip
Too cold - zip up
Not sure - middle zip (looks stylish too)
Really cold - zip up, hood on cinch it tight.
Really hot - take it off (and if you're into the 1990's/ Tourist look tie that puppy round your waist).

Ah. Fall.

 

My Plan 

Why 400 Days of Juice?

I need a rebirth.
I think most people somewhere along the line need one. A time to discard old vestiges of oneself and rise, like a phoenix, from the ashes a little newer and fresher.
So, here's mine...

...I recently purchased Natalie Savona's The Big Book of Juices: More than 400 natural blends for health and vitality every day. I mean with a byline like that who wouldn't want it. It is an amazing and beautiful book with "more than 400"  recipes separated into three categories: Juices, Smoothies and Quenchers. The pictures alone are worth buying the book, but the content is what I wanted.

I bought this book for the purpose of incorporating fresh juices into a healthy lifestyle, but there were so many recipes I was overwhelmed and it sat on my shelf, unused. Later that month a friend of mine suggested I start a blog about my life as wanna-be film industry professional working as a tour guide, nanny and after school teacher in NYC (something I have toyed with, but was never sure I had enough material to pull it off). So, on the subway home - somewhere between Manhattan and Brooklyn - I thought to combine my pursuit for a healthier lifestyle and my general angst in becoming a full-fledged, responsible adult in American society...

So, my goal is to try one of Ms. Savona's juice recipes a day and blog a little bit.
I'll keep the recipes and juicing information at the top and all the emotional stuff at the bottom. This way if you're only interested in the lifestyle stuff, skim the bit off the top, if you're only interested in my cathartic release and tales of NYC scroll to the bottom and enjoy. If you are like me and always want it all - enjoy the full monty, 'cause let's face it a true "healthy lifestyle" includes all of the above.