Day 46: 

Juice: Cloudy Day

Cloudy Day:
2 Grapefruits
1/2 Long Cucumber
2 Sticks of Celery
1 Small Bunch of Fresh Mint

So, I was bumming around online, reading about juicing - as I do - and I came across this article, which I thought was a nice point of view on juicing: Notes From A Newly Converted Juicer by Bob Carden at the Washington Post. Here are a few highlights if you don't have time to glance at the whole thing:

"A blender pulverizes veggies and fruits, and makes for a thick, fiber-filled drink. A juicer separates, so all you get is pure juice. It comes at you with a slow hand and an easy touch, lovingly churning that apple while extracting its juice. Blending’s more of a one-night stand, while juicing’s a long-term affair." 

Pure truth. 

Bob Carden also interviews a 44 year-old video editor, Julian Thomson who says this about juicing:

"Smoothies, blenders, that’s all wussy stuff. Posers who think they’re doing something healthy. Juicing is juicing, man, not blending. You have to yank the juice out of the veggies. You want to blend? Then go drink a margarita.”

Hilarious.

Now, don't get me wrong, all you smoothie lovers out there, I am not against the smoothie (in fact at the end of this blog I will have a whole bunch of smoothie recipes for you). I adore a good smoothie and desperately love my blender for everything I do with it: Homemade nut milk, yogurt pancakes, etc... 

But, I think this is a great statement for all the people with Vitamix Blenders, 'cause they all say: "I have a juicer - a Vitamix." Wrong. Vitamix's are not juicers. They are amazing blenders and an amazing addition to any kitchen, but it does not extract the pulp...therefore it is not a juicer. A Green Smoothie is not juice. Living in New York City, I feel I have this conversation with people everyday, so let me quickly lay it out for you all in the blogging 'verse.

Blending vs. Juicing  

 

 

There are pro's and con's to blending and juicing.

The main argument against juicing and for blending, is that when you juice the fiber. Fiber slows the absorption of nutrients, because your body has to digest (a.k.a extract the nutrients from the fiber). So, fiber keeps you fuller longer because you body is working with it. Also depending on whether the fiber is soluble (meaning is dissolves in water) or insoluble (does not dissolve in water) it can improve you absorption a specific nutrients and keep you regular. (Source)

When you juice, you remove the fiber and allow your body to take the extracted nutrients and work with it right away. This gives your body what it would take anyways while giving the digestive tract a break - as it if were intravenously. 

Ultimately, neither is better than the other. Both are good and your best bet it to include a little of each in your day. 

Day 42:

Juice: Grapefruit Tonic

Grapefruit Tonic:
3 Grapefurits
1 Teaspoon of Spirulina

I didn't really like this juice, it was too tart with only grapefruits. But Spirulina is a nice addition to any juice because it it full of good things: vitamins, minerals, carotenoids (More About Carotenoids), antioxidants and a healthy dose protein. I talked in depth about Spirulina WAY BACK in Entry 3, so feel free to check there for some more information.

Fasting Problems:

So, the rest of today's entry is actually more personal. It it about my 30 Day Juice Fast. This is something I started on February 25th  and I ran into some issues that proved very interesting.

For starters I decreased my coffee intake a week or so before the first day of the fast, to make my withdrawal symptoms a little easier to deal with. This was especially hard for me since I am a bonafide coffee addict - like 3-4cups a day, kinda gal. So, removing it was a big deal, but I had done it before for a week while on my first juice fast. It had been awful, but I made it.

I began my fast on Feb. 25th and the first day was fine. Everything felt normal, but my body was still dealing with food and caffeine from the day before.

Day two, however, I began to notice some gastric distress (mainly a lot of burbling and I was uncomfortable) during and after consuming a juice. I felt very bloated. Thinking this was just my body clearing out junk I continued.

Day three, I found the gastric distress increase, significantly. I couldn't even make it through an entire juice, it was too uncomfortable. I felt nauseous just looking at juice. Yuck!

So being a strong proponent of "listening to your body", I contacted my holistic practitioner in Vermont and laid out my problem. She said it sounded like a stomach lining issue. She informed me that coffee is very acidic and can severely damage the stomach lining - especially, when drunk in the amounts I was consuming - and that now without coffee, my stomach is probably trying to heal, but the juice might be too acidic as well or just too much nutrients for it to process easily.
Information on Stomach Lining: What do I need to know about my stomach lining?

My Practitioner asked me to reintroduce, just raw foods into my diet along with juice, to see if the fiber in the food would slow down the absorption rate. I consumed raw greens, vegetables and fruit, before drinking juice for a day to no avail. I was still quite uncomfortable and my stomach was very vocal.

My Practitioner, then asked me to try refined carbohydrates, which are easier for your body to process since they are processed and comprised of less sugars than complex carbohydrates. She recommended white bread, pita, crackers, etc... If these were hard to process, I was to put myself on a liquid diet, broths and water only.

The carbohydrates were fine. No pain or discomfort. Yay!

Next, she sugguested herbal tea - like ginger and peppermint, which warm the stomach - and yogurt (if I felt like it). Yogurt has acidophilus also known as intestinal fauna & flora or probiotics. Acidophilus is a term "used to describe a number of bacteria that help in human digestion... In addition to basic digestive assistance, it is thought to help bolster the immune system as a whole. It is also thought to provide some relief from intestinal problems." (Source)

I introduced yogurt the next day and it went well. I also had a pear, which went okay - a little grumbling.

Slowly, over the weekend I reintroduced complex carbs (rice, potatoes), fruits and eventually, raw vegetables, but to be honest, I was very far from craving or enjoying the vegetables. It was not appealing to me in any major way just yet, so I stuck to a lot of yogurt and carbs and some fruit.

After a few days of that, I craved greens and began to eat a much more normal - pre-juice fast diet. But, even now, I have a slight aversion to juice. I really don't want to drink any right now and my Practitioner suggested I wait until I feel that I want some. She also strongly cautioned me against coffee and said if I was going to return to it (which I am) that I keep the intake level low and give my body a break every now and again.

I have been off coffee now for three and a half weeks. My goal is a month, then I plan to really try to stick to one cup a day.

This was a very interesting learning experience for me, which highlighted, not just the dangers of excess amounts of anything and the importance of listening to your body, but also to seek out a well trained holistic nutritionist or practitioner, who can help you through any issues that might arise while fasting.

Comments? Questions?

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 39: 

Juice: Greatfruit C

Greatfruit C:
2 Grapefruits
1 Kiwi
1 Guava

 Again, I had a hard time finding guava. But those of you elsewhere in the world might have better access to it.

Kiwifruit (which is usually shortened to just Kiwi) is the edible berry of a vine in the Actinidia family. Typically associated with New Zealand, kiwifruits are actually native to southern China and cultivation spread from China in the early 20th century. (I was surprised the spread of the cultivation kiwi's was so late in comparison with other fruits.)

Though the fruit is small, it is packed with Vitamin C. "This nutrient is the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body, neutralizing free radicals that can cause damage to cells and lead to problems such as inflammation and cancer." (Source) Vitamin C is important for the proper function of a healthy immune system and has been shown to help prevent/reduced a multitude of problems. This is  are always telling you to eat more Vitamin C.

Kiwifruit Orchard

Kiwi's also have a good supply beta-carotene content (usually when you hear beta-carotene you think carrot and other orange vegetables and fruits). This combination of vitamin c and beta-carotene, researchers theorize, is what gives kiwi's the amazing ability to protect DNA in the nucleus of human cells from oxygen-related damage. But, kiwi's also contain "a variety of flavonoids and carotenoids that have demonstrated antioxidant activity, these phytonutrients in kiwi may be responsible for this DNA protection."(source)

Emotional Lifestyle:

Juice Fast Day 1:

No coffee as of today. Yikes! My cupboards are empty and my fruit and vegetable drawer is full.

 
I plan to have six juices today: (unless my body calls for more). Fruit juice in the morning and fruit/vegetable in the mid-morning, nut milk for lunch, fruit/vegetable in the mid afternoon, and mostly vegetable for dinner (an apple might sneak in there).







Juices today:

1. Plum Pear Punch
• 1.5 Bosc Pears
• 3 Chilean Plums
2. Abbie's Favorite with Half a Pear
• 2 Carrots
• 2 Sticks of Celery
• 1 Apple 
• .5 Pear (had to use it from the Plum Pear Punch)
3. Homemade Almond Milk
• 2 Cups of Almonds
4. Kitchen Sink (This is when I just throw in whatever I have and see how it tastes)
• 4 Small Carrots 
• 3 Apples 
• 2 Sticks of Celery 
• 1/4 A Large White Turnip (it was too much turnip)

I definitely felt the lag and grog without coffee. No significant caffeine withdrawal headache (which is awesome). I was hungry later in the day, because I didn't bring enough juice to work. I didn't workout, but I will in the days to come.

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 36:

Juice: Water Cooler

Water Cooler:
2 Grapefruits
1 Thick Slice of Watermelon

Sorry for the lack of posts lately...life. But, I'm back.

Now, if you have followed this blog from the beginning you may remember that I don' t like watermelon, so...I made this juice, but I did not enjoy it. Also, it is not the season for watermelon, so I'm sure it was not as sweet as a summer watermelon. But, it is the season for Grapefruit and man, did I get some delish organic grapefruit. They tend to be smaller, more like an orange, but they are worth it.

If you want to know more about watermelon, I discussed it in Entry 23, so feel free to look there for more information. Like last time I had to juice watermelon, I didn't want to buy a whole watermelon so I purchased pre-cut watermelon from my local grocery store.


Some pointers when buying pre-cut fruit:

• Look for the date on the package - usually it will have the date it was packaged, not an expiration date - try to find one that was packaged within a day or so. 

• Try to a package with an orange slice in it. Vitamin C helps slow down the oxidization process. 

FUN FACT: If you ever want to make some juice to go, Vitamin C powder should help it keep for a few hours. Also, be sure to refrigerate it.

If you like watermelon, I'm sure you'll like this juice and I'll bet you'll like it even more in the summer.

Emotional Lifestyle:

Life has been insanely busy, as you may have suspected based on my absence from the Blogger sphere. Life sucks when you work three jobs, take two different night time classes, and are trying to make a web series happen - not to mention the freezing cold.

So, I have now gone through most of February busy and stressed, without working out or fueling my body well (aka not choosing well balanced meals). Which, of course, was the I could really use both of those things...but c'est la vie. 

Things are cooling down a bit and I think I'm adjusting to a busier schedule. But, I am starting to feel a revigoration of motivation...

Now, why am I telling you all of this? 

Well, glad you asked. 

One of the things I do when stressed is drink massive amounts of coffee and eat lots of sugary foods. You body craves these things when you're running on empty, so I ingested a bit more than usual. Now, my body craves them - even though I am sleeping more - because it is accustom to more calories and the drug-like effects sugar and caffeine have on our bodies (especially coffee). 

So, now I am annoyed by the cravings. There is a wonderful solution to this...a juice fast!

I am probably going to start a juice fast sometime here soon, which I have done before. It will most likely be short, like eight days - just a quick reset for the system. But, I want to get onto a work out regime as well (which is usually not recommended while fasting), so I need to do some research. Obviously, I'll let you know all of my findings on this matter in another blog, but for now....that's all. 

Keep Juicing!

Day 34:

Juice: Grapefruit Basic

Grapefruit Basic:
1 Grapefruit
1 Apple
2 Carrots
1 Stick of Celery

This was good. I got up early this morning and made this juice. It totally picked my morning up.

While researching for this blog last week, I stumbled upon a very interesting article online: Limonin: Health Benefits in Citrus Fruits. It mentions a compound found in citrus fruits call Limonin. 

Limonin:

(lî`mō´nĭn)

n.

1.

(Chem.) A bitter, white, crystalline substance found in orange and lemon seeds.

Limonin enters the body as a sugar molecule and is absorbed into the blood stream. From there, Limonin works as an active antioxidant fighting the breakdown of cell DNA. According to a scientific team working with the USDA, has been shown to "fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach, and colon." (Source) 

How does it do that? You might ask. 

Well, researchers have found Limonin can remain the the blood stream for up to 24 hours - an impressive amount of time - and this "longevity" is probably why limonoids' have such an ability to fight cancer cells. The USDA also states that though most people think about vitamin C when they think about citrus research has shown "limonin glucoside is present in citrus and citrus juices in about the same amount as vitamin C." (Source)

 

What does this mean?

Keep juicing is what it means and while you're at it include some citrus with seed and peels! 

Happy Monday!

Day 32:

Juice: Grapefruit Sharp

Grapefruit Sharp:
2 Grapefruits
1 Lemon
1 Lime

Okay, this juice was actually a bit too tart for me. I couldn't make it through the entire glass, but don't be discourage if you're not into tartness. As I said in my last post, and will probably say in many others, if you are afraid it will be too tart reduce the amount of grapefruit you are using and throw in an apple or maybe just half. It'll sweeten the whole thing right up!

Limes or Lime Tree. Citrus aurantifolia. A small tree found typically is tropical and subtropical areas which bears edible acid fruits. Typically found throughout the year, but the Lime season is May  through October.

Now, most all of us know that limes, being citrus, are a good source of Vitamin C.  Nearly 50% of you daily required Vitamin C intake can be found in one lime. I talked about Vitamin C in detail in Entry 9.  Most of us also know that citrus, especially limes, help prevent scurvy. - a disease resulting from a deficiency of Vitamin C. British sailors used limes in the 19th century to ward off scurvy and ended up with the nickname "Limeys". But recent studies in West Africa have shown that the inclusion of lime juice in a main meal of the day helps prevent against the contraction of cholera - an infection of the small intestine contracted by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

New research has also shown that lemons and limes have incredible healing properties. Lime juice, specifically,  has been proven to have a positive impact on cell cycles - the series of events that take place in a cell leading to its division and duplication (replication). So, it is helping the cell decided whether it should divide (called mitosis) or die (called apoptosis). It also has show to improve the activities of immune cells called monocytes. White blood cells used in the immune system, monocytes "are made in the bone marrow, and they spread through the body in one to three days. They can develop into either dendritic cells or macrophages." (Source)

A human lymphocyte (pink) scans the surface of a dendritic cell (blue).

Dendritic cells "act as a communication vehicle between multiple key cells...and trigger immune response." (Source)

A macrophage (pale brown) interacts with Borrelia cells (blue), the spirochete bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

Macrophages "eat foreign material in the body. These cells are involved in the primary or innate immune response to a number of immune invaders..." (Source).






So let's recap:
Not only does lime juice, help your body's healthy cells reproduce or the old, tired or unhealthy cells die; it helps your body identify a problem and, essentially, notify the national guard to deal with the problem.

Hello Lime Juice! Get to know me!

Emotional Lifestyle: 

The Oscar Nominations are out and it is all anyone in the media field can talk about, which I find weird because we all know Lincoln is going to sweep. I bet it is going to get best picture and best actor for sure. Zero Dark Thirty is really it's only contender, but Kathryn Bigelow won recently and for anyone who has ever followed The Oscars knows that they are all about dues and Bigelow got 'hers'  too recently. Silver Linings Playbook and Les Misérables might get a few things. Best animated feature is probably going to go to Wreck-It Ralph or Brave. Everyone liked Wreck-It Ralph better, but everyone also agrees that Brave is beautifully made. I haven't seen any of the nominated foreign films, but I am pretty surprised The Intouchables isn't on there. Big time snubbing. It was great.
But the Austrian film Amour is nominated for everything, so maybe that will win. Best Score might go to Skyfall or Lincoln. Original Song is probably going to Skyfall.
As for the rest of the categories, I'm not really sure...I guess I'll have to watch and see. 

Day 31: 

Juice: Pure Grapefruit

Pure Grapefruit:
3 Grapefruits

All the juices I have done to date have been fruit juices - sweet and delicious - and all of them have had the same base ingredient - Apples. But today is the start of fruit juices with a different base ingredient - Grapefruits. If you are someone, who is not too into grapefruits (mainly because unsweetened juice can be quite bitter) reduce the amount of grapefruits used and toss in an apple. This will sweeten the juice and allow you to enjoy the juice without missing out.

Since I already talked about grapefruits - Entry 21 - I'm going to give you some juicing tips and best practices to help you going forward. For anyone just getting started in juicing check out Entry 12 it is a short little "how to" for juicing.


Tips:
1.) Line the pulp catcher:
To help with clean up after juicing, use a plastic bag (any grocery store bag will do) to line the pulp catcher. This way the the pulp catcher wont stain and it is one less thing you have to clean.

2.) Use your pulp for other things - don't waste good nutrition:
You can save pulp in your fridge for up to 12 hours, but it is best to use it as soon as possible. Some ideas:
- Stir pulp into veggie sauces, dips or soup.
- Fruit pulp can be used for fruit sauces, jams, or (even more fun) freeze it into homemade fruit pops.
- Mix pulp into meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers. It will give it some nice flavor and keep them moist.
- You can also sneak it into layered casserole dishes, like lasagna. 
- Bake it into pound cake, muffins, or biscuits.
- I also saw someone mix honey (or any binder agent really) into pulp and make healthy 'cookie snacks'. I haven't tried it yet myself.

3.) Drink your juice as soon as possible:
After you juice fruits and vegetables, juice begins to oxidize (it tends to change color as it oxidizes, especially apple). It is the same thing that happens when you cut and apple and leave the white exposed - the browning is oxidization. *Note: Oxidized or discolored juice is not bad. It just doesn't have as much nutritional value as it would fresh because oxidization it the breaking down of the natural enzymes in the fruits and vegetables.

4.) Stock, Wash and Store before juicing:
This means plan your juices and buy what you need for a few days or the week. Then wash it all before it goes into the refrigerator and store it so it is easily accessible to you. This tip is a VERY popular rule of thumb for juicing, because this way one never has an excuse not to juice. If everything is ready to go when you want a juice, then you are more likely to juice.

5.) Store in glass:
I don't really ever store juice. I usually consume it in the morning or evening right after I make it, but if you are taking some to work or just want to store excess juice for the next day...please use glass. Plastic, not only leeches chemicals into anything stored in it, but it also can react badly to juice as it oxidizes. There have been stories of plastic containers cracking, breaking and exploding while holding juice. Glass also helps slow the oxidization process.

Day 28: 

Juice: Cranapple

Cranapple:
3 Apples
1 Handful of Cranberries
1 Handful of Grapes

I have always been a fan of cranberry juice, usually plain, but I really like this juice. The tartness of the cranberries mixed with the multi-layered sweetness of the Apples and Grapes - delicious. This is also the first time I have juiced Cranberries and when I finished I looked up how to make homemade jam with the pulp. These are the great resources I found:

1. http://www.all-about-juicing.com/ (Fruit Sauce & Other Recipes)
2. http://www.ehow.com/ (Homemade Jam)

*If you try any of these, I'd love to hear about it.

The Cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, is one of the few crops native to New England (woot, woot!). Cranberries grow in acid bogs that lack a sufficient amount of nitrogen for most plant life. They are low, creeping plants that have - grower refer to them as vines - thin, wiry stems. Pollinated by bees, the cranberry flower appear mid-summer, they are white to light pink and bell-shaped.

According to UCLA's botany website:

"The common name cranberry is a modification of the colonial name 'crane berry,' because the drooping flower looked like the neck and head of the sand crane, which was often seen eating the fruits." (http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/)

 Now, Cranberries has always gotten a lot of good press. When one thinks of cranberries, usually one thinks of a high vitamin C content, a good portion of fiber and maybe it has been mentioned as being an anti-oxidant. Cranberry juice is also commonly known to treat Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). But, its complete phytonutrient package is what makes cranberries such an impressive and important fruit.

World's Healthiest Foods lists "5 key categories of health-supportive phytonutrients in cranberries" in the chart below: (Source)

Type of Phytonutrient	Specific Molecules
Phenolic Acids	hydroxybenzoic acids including vanillic acids; hydroxycinnamic acids inculding caffeic, coumaric, cinnamic, and ferulic acids
Proanthocyanidins	epicatechins
Anthocyanins	cyanidins, malvidins, and peonidins
Flavonoids	quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol
Triterpenoids	ursolic acid

Most of these phytonutrients have been studied independently for - mainly - anti-cancer, antioxidant and, anti-inflammatory properties (If you have been following my blog, we have talked about phenolic acids and flavonoids - btws). However, one of the main things researchers have discovered is that "...isolated phytonutrients in cranberry do not account for the same degree of health benefit as phytonutrients taken as a complete, synergistic group." (Source) The whole is more than the sum of its parts - if you will.

All of phytonutrients in cranberries have been shown to help protect against heart disease, cancer, gum disease, stomach ulcers, urinary tract infections and other diseases. A great resource for more information is the www.cranberryinstitute.org.

Day 26: 

Juice: Parsnapple

Parsnapple:
3 Apples
2 Parsnips
1 Pinch of Nutmeg


Yum! This is a perfect juice for the upcoming holidays! It seriously tastes like eggnog...well like the juice form of eggnog. It is smooth and creamy and the nutmeg gives it a little warmth.

The Parsnip. Pastinaca sativa.  Original to the Mediterranean and a relative of the carrot - could you tell? Parsnips, however, are known to be sweeter, especially when cooked. Fully matured parsnips have to be picked right after the first frost, so fall and winter is the season for parsnips.

Full of Vitamin C, many B-complex groups as well as vitamin K and vitamin E, Parsnips are also a great source of the mineral silicon, which promotes healthy bones. Parsnips are shown to help fight cancer by "nourishing the immune system, decrease inflammation in the body [anti-oxidants], and stimulate beneficial enzymes. They improve conditions of constipation and help to normalize high blood pressure." (Source)

Technical note for making this juice: You don't want to just sprinkle the nutmeg on top of the juice 'cause it'll get all caught up in the foam. Instead try either of these techniques: 

1. The book suggests: Pour some of the juice into a jar. Add nutmeg. Shake it up until fully mixed. Pour mix back into the juice. Stir. 
2. I did this: Juice an apple. Stop the juicer. Add nutmeg to the small amount of juice. Juice the rest of your ingredients. [See Pictures Below]

I just find the second easier and faster. Plus I don't have to wash a jar and my juicer.

Sweet and smooth, parsnips are a great juicing vegetable to have in your toolbox, especially once we get on to more vegetable juice, because it is always a great substitute for the carrot - trust me, you'll get sick of the carrot.

Day 22:

Juice: Apple Gone Loupey

Apple Gone Loupey:

3 Apples

2 Thick Slices of Melon

1 Small Bunch of Mint

I love this! Again, I am a huge fan of mint in my juice. It is fresh, fun and adds a zing! It also reminds me of summer, especially with the melon added in (my choice being Cantaloupe). I wanted to sip this juice on a porch somewhere.

*Note: I cut the melon in half and spooned the insides (seeds included) into the juicer first before cutting the melon into slices. I like to get as much food value as I can from my produce.

*Also, once the slices are cut, trim the skin off the melon.

Mint. A versatile and well loved herb used to season everything from meat to ice cream or floating in a glass of iced tea. Yum. Mint or Mentha is a part of the Lamiaceae (mint family), a genus of flowering plants that are know for medicinal properties and aromatics. 

Mint has over 25 species. So, it is 'native' all over the world. It shows up in all its forms in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. Natural hybridization has occurred throughout the centuries a well as purposeful cross-breeding. 

Which should you use for this juice?  I don't think it matters. I think you can take culinary liberty as to which mint species you choose.  Personally, I just grabbed what was in the store. Based on images and description of the leaves, I am guessing it is Water Mint. #1 on the chart below.

Along with its cousin peppermint or our other friendly juice ingredient Ginger, Mint it good for the tummy. It is known to have a soothing effect on the belly. It has been proven relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, including indigestion, dyspepsia, and colonic muscle spasms. (Source)

New research is suggesting that mint (particularly peppermint) may contain cancer fighting effects: 

"Perillyl alcohol is a phytonutrient called a monoterpene, and it is plentiful in peppermint oil. In animal studies, this phytonutrient has been shown to stop the growth of pancreatic, mammary, and liver tumors. It has also been shown to protect against cancer formation in the colon, skin, and lungs." (Source)

Mint, among being rich in vitamin A, B2 and C, fiber, potassium, iron and a whole mess of other phytonutrients, it is also a wonderful diuretic. So, it is very cleansing. Mint has also been shown to improve the skin, ease chronic asthma and respiratory disorders.
AND it really livens up a juice!

Right after juicing.

After it settled.

Day 21:

Juice: Apple Tang

Apple Tang:
3 Apples
1 Grapefruit
1 Lime

I needed to cut down on the fruit for this juice because my glasses aren't big enough sometimes to hold all of the juice. The recipes are big. I normally cut back and apple, which is what I did today, but then the whole lime was too much. It was all a bit too bitter and sour for me.

 *Note: Oranges and Grapefruit and other citrus should be peeled (I use a paring knife) of their skin, but leave as much of the white pith as possible. It is a big percentage of the food value.  They also make the juice nice and frothy!


Grapefruits. Normally thought of as the diet breakfast food. But, they are ideal for juicing. As a member of the citrus family, Grapefruits carry a lot of the same stuff as their relatives: oranges, tangerines, etc... Typically big, juicier, Grapefruits are rich with flavonoids (our friendly plant pigment: See Day 11 for more detail), Vitamin A, B5, B6, and of course C. So, consuming a good amount of Grapefruits has many health benefits.

According to the USDA, one half a Grapefruit supplies 80% of an adults daily required intake of Vitamin C. Nice, right? Vitamin C helps boost and support the immune system, so flu season is a great time to hit the fruit isle for some Grapefruit.

Pink and Red Grapefruit (not white) contain lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient. "Lycopene appears to have anti-tumor activity. Among the common dietary carotenoids, lycopene has the highest capacity to help fight oxygen free radicals, which are compounds that can damage cells.
Choosing to regularly eat lycopene-rich foods, such as pink grapefruit, and drink green tea may greatly reduce a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, suggests research published the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jian L, Lee AH, et al." (Source)

High in antioxidants and soluble fiber, Grapefruits have been proved to lower cholesterol, prevent kidney stones, and may even help repair DNA. I don't know about you, but this ruby red fruit seems like a good person to have on your team in time of need.

Emotional Lifestyle:

The Walking Dead: A Female's Critique of a Sexist Show
 

DISCLAIMER: I apologize in advance if you are a die-hard Walking Dead fan. Also, please note I am not writing about the comics...I have never read the comic books, so I cannot critique them. This is a critique of the television show only. I am through season one and half of season two. 

The Walking Dead, an AMC original, is a show I have been trying desperately to like (much like Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, which aired on Fox [2009-2010]). Now, The Walking Dead is already infinitely better than The Dollhouse just by the casting:

Andrew Lincoln, caught my eye in Love Actually (2003) - yes, he was in Love Actually. Though his part was small and his storyline was stupid, I liked what he did with it. I researched him and discovered her was/is a fantastic actor. The BBC show Teachers (2001-2003) is hilarious and wonderful. There is also an array of other talented actors like Norman Reedus, known primarily for The Boondock Saints (1999), Jon Bernthal, who I noticed in the mini-series The Pacific (2010), and Jeffrey DeMunn, who I feel like I have watched my whole life. He's in everything! So, with a cast like this and a few bright new faces - most notably: Steven Yeun and Melissa McBride - how is this show sub-par?

As far as action, blood, guts, and gore The Walking Dead plays it well. I am a Zombie fan so, I generally enjoy the show. I am even willing to overlook the 'Walkers' (as the Zombies are called) many inconsistencies and contradictions (How are they rotting and outrunning our cast?). However, what I have a hard time watching is there horrible (would prefer to use a stronger, non-family friendly word there) female characters and character development. Why do all the women characters suck so hard?!?! I will reiterate, this is season one and half of season two I am referring to.

The guys, good and bad, are funny, fun, interesting and constantly kicking Walker ass, while the women are back in the camp - where they'll be safe, obviously, they left a few men behind to guard them. *Note the old man in the background. He gets to carry a gun.*

 

At the campsite, the ladies busy themselves with home-style chores - just 'cause the world's gone to hell, doesn't mean you can't have an orderly campsite.

Cooking the men dinner - because after a day of splitting Walker's heads and figuring out what's going on they'll be famished, of course.

Caring for the children - they're called maternal instincts not paternal instincts for a reason. 

 

 

And doing laundry:

Why do you think you have hands ladies? It sure ain't to carry a gun. That there is men's work. 

I don't think any of the women, with the exception of Andrea (the blonde one) even pick up a gun in season one. And I'm pretty sure Andrea only fires it once...to kill her own sister. She threatens to use it all the time, but it turns out she doesn't even know how to use it. Well, thank god the men are there when it really matters: 

 Shane beating up the abusive husband of one of the female characters.

The Guys got back just in time to save the women and children from the Walkers that wandered into camp. (Maybe if they'd left some guns with the girls they wouldn't have had to rush back)

**I love that in both pictures the women screaming and crying, helpless in the background.**

The women do nothing. Nothing! And they are the most annoying characters in the show. Not a brain in the bunch. They are always making hard situations worse and mucking everything up. The men constantly have to jump in and save them.

In Season two I think it actually gets worse. Spoilers Ahead.

Of course  the stupid little girl Sophia (daughter of the abused woman) gets herself lost in the woods when she can't follow the simple instructions given to her by the sheriff and leader of the pack Rick Grimes. I'd also love to not she is supposed to be the same age as Carl Grimes (son of the sheriff) and yet:

Do they look the same age to you? What eleven year old girl trots around with her Raggedy Ann Doll? If she had that, she'd probably have it safely hidden in her pillow case where no one would see it.

Shane (a police officer and best friend of the sheriff) starts to train these women to shoot, and yet they rarely do. Except Andrea, who clearly isn't ready to handle a gun when she almost kills a Daryl (a group member) when he is returning to camp. Thank god her aim sucked. The men then decided to take her gun away from her like a child (in a very weird scene with the older father-like figure), but the eleven year-old boy...he gets to have a gun. Well, that's just common sense.

But my favorite is when Lori Grimes (wife of Sheriff, who thought he was dead and couldn't stand being without the protection of a man even for a month, so she shacked up with his best friend - Shane) becomes pregnant and she's also not sure if she wants to have it. She keeps it a secret, but slowly news spreads around the camp. Practically every man gives her a little speech telling her she has to keep it for the future of mankind (dramatic much). However, when she decides to get rid of it and downs a handful of  morning after pills (as if it would abort it), but suddenly she has a change of heart (of course she does) and hucks them up. Her husband, The Sheriff, finds out he full on yells at her (and he never yells at her for anything...not even the affair she had with his best friend) for trying to loose it...apparently, an affair it's not as bad as a woman wanting/trying to have an abortion. The scene turns into a big cry-fest on her part and she pleads and sobs for forgiveness saying "I made a mistake." The scene feel like she was alcoholic who started drinking again, not a women who weigh the options (for the previous two episodes) and decided the best course of action for survival. Why is everyone telling this woman to have a kid in an apocalypse?! 

So, the show is sexist and pro-life apparently. 

Now, I am not asking for all of the females to be amazing gun slingers, just some equal representation. There wasn't a single women on the Atlanta police force with them who survived? Not a single women in the military made it anywhere? Can't we just have one character who can do something other than chores?

You know, maybe this should actually be a critique of AMC in general because now that I'm thinking about it...a lot of there shows have annoying/ stupid female characters.

• Mad Men is 'allowed' to be sexist under the guise of the 1960's. The 'strong' women are strong while glammed up in 1960's constricted clothing, make-up, hair dos and 'strong' by 1960's standards.
• Breaking Bad the wife sucks. She is one of the worst characters on the show. The other female character, her sister is neurotic, of course both have fantastic husbands with deep and rich character growth. The son is a wonderful character as well and well acted character. Pinkman, like Daryl in The Walking Dead (The Redneck Character), is portrayed as uneducated, immoral, and has questionable loyalties but written well - endearing himself to us as viewers.
• Hell On Wheels set in the 1860's so it is 'allowed' to be sexist, but there really aren't a lot of women characters. There is one main female character that I can think of. 

 Maybe AMC should consider hiring some new writers, because though the they are showing this:

A lot of women are seeing this:

For more about this topic consider reading:

1. ‘The Walking Dead’ and Gender: Why I’m Skeptical the Addition of BadassMichonne Will Change the TV Series’ Retro Sexism 
2.  What's Wrong With the Women of AMC?