Juice Feast-Day 42

Reflecting On Where My Food Comes From

Today while I was juicing I made a conscious effort to think about where the raw fruits and vegetables that are sustaining me come from, how they are planted, how they grow, who harvests them and how they make their way to the super market. Only a small amount of what I'm juicing right now is grown locally. Most of the fruits and vegetables arrive to our Co-op from the west coast, or from far off places like Mexico or South America.

I tried to picture my pineapple growing amongst thousands of others on the side of a mountain overlooking the South Pacific, like those at a pineapple plantation I visited on the Island of Moorea near Tahiti . I thought about farmers carefully sowing the seeds of my spinach, and visualized sprouting seeds and leaves slowly making their way up through the soil to be nurtured by sun and rain.

I thought about the workers harvesting my strawberries, and wondered what their morning routine must be like before heading out into the fields. I thought about all of the human and natural resources it takes to grow my food, harvest it, pack it into crates and load it onto trucks, ships,and airplanes. I thought about distribution warehouses, forklifts, loading docks, delivery drivers, and grocers.

Everyday, so many people are assisting me with my juice feast. I feel a deep sense of love and gratitude for all of the people who are unknowingly supporting my choice to be healthy. A thousand thanks to all of you!
Juicy Diary-Day 42

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water

4 oz orange juice + 3 MSM caps

20 oz apple/red grape/plum

32 oz water

30 oz green juice (parsley, spinach, celery, cucumber, carrots, green bell pepper, red onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro)

30 oz green juice

32 oz water

44 oz pineapple/orange/strawberry

Total Juice = 124 oz (0.97 gallons)

Total Water = 64 oz (0.50 gallons)

-----------------------------
Sleep & dreams: 8 hrs, disrupted. When I woke up I could remember parts of 6 different dreams. I'm not going to try to decipher them now, but I'm writing down what I remember so I can come back to them in the future.

1) I was running along the shore of Lake Superior barefoot trying to escape sharks that were trying to attack me from just off shore. They were swimming through the water like missiles and landing themselves on the beach in an effort to bite me. Then they would thrash about and slip back into the water only to try it again. It was stormy and cold and there was a giant ore boat moored near shore. I distinctly remember looking at the rudder of the boat and watching it turn back and forth.

2) My husband and I were to sign some real estate papers for our realtor. To get these papers, we had to drive to a large empty lot and retrieve them from a woman. As soon as we had the papers in hand, a grizzly bear started chasing us back to the car. The woman's small, black and white dog came out of nowhere and ran interference. It distracted the bear just long enough for us to get away. Later we noticed that the one of the papers had a large bear paw print on the back of it. We thought this was good because it would show our realtor just how hard we worked to get the papers.

3) I was in a large auditorium where they were drawing for two trips for two to Italy. The first winner was announced and it was someone I didn't know. I knew the second winner, a woman, and thought it was nice that she was going to take our friend TF with her.

4) A former co-worker of my husband (and friend of mine) was trying desperately to seduce my husband and get his attention. She was wearing a bikini and posing in all sort of erotic ways. He was clueless and completely disinterested. I remember thinking it was funny, but felt sorry for her at the same time.

5) I was out shopping and ran into a friend who had taken her daughter and daughter's friend shopping for prom dresses. Dolce and Gabanna prom dresses (ha!). The young woman with my friend's daughter didn't have a mother, so I took on the role of helping her shop and kept trying to boost her confidence by telling her how beautiful she looked.

6) My neighbor was walking her dogs up a hill next to our house. She decided to run up the hill to give her dogs more exercise, but tripped over one of them and fractured her leg. It was bent in a crazy direction. I rushed to her aid, called 911 and ran to her house to alert her son. While I was there talking to him she walked up on her broken leg.

Exercise: nope

Sauna: 20 minutes

Energy: great

Physical observations: The rash on my tummy is gone today. I also got my period again, but it doesn't seem like it will last more than a day or two. I've got to try to get some more sleep. I'm getting 8 hours, but it's disrupted and I'm waking up tired. The bags under my eyes do not represent the healthy glow of a juice feaster. I'm going to try hard to represent this weekend so people don't think I'm crazy. I don't want to give anyone anymore ammo that than necessary.

Juice Feast-Day 41

(Today's greens made 61 oz of juice using my Green Star)

Mmmm....Greens!

Today someone asked me what a typical day is like for me in regards to fluid intake. As I told her, usually, I try to take in at least 1 gallon of juice and a gallon of water-two gallons of fluid total. I don't always make it to two gallons, but I do my best. I don't use any exact recipes, so volume-wise it doesn't always come out the same. Usually if anything gets shorted it's the water or the fruit juice. Plus, sometimes I just don't feel like I can manage peeing every 15 minutes all day long!

In my opinion, the green juices are the key to my body getting everything it needs. That's why I feel like it's willing to release all of the other crud. I think the fruit juices assist me in clearing things out and adding vital antioxidants, but if my body wasn't getting the protein and phytochemicals it needed, I don't think it would feel like it could let go of all of the other "junk."

Lately I'm feeling the need to simplify my greens, but haven't come up with a combo that works for me yet. I add peppers, garlic, cilantro and jalapenos to my greens because it masks the taste. I HAVE to do this in order to drink 1/2 gallon of greens per day.

Juicy Diary-Day 41

(Today's juices & supplements)

32 oz pineapple/strawberry + 3 MSM
32 oz water
30 oz green juice (kale, spinach, parsley, cilantro, celery, carrots, cucumber, green bell pepper, mini sweet red peppers, jalapeno, garlic, onion)
32 0z water
30 oz green juice
32 oz water
32 oz apple/red grape/plum

Total juice = 124 oz (0.98 gallons)
Total juice = 96 oz (0.75 gallons)
-----------------------

Sleep & dreams: 6 hrs: I had three dreams last night. At the moment I can only remember part of one. I was standing under a cobblestone bridge that spanned a walking path. On one side of the bridge was the U.K. and on the other side of the bridge was the United States. I was standing on the U.S. side. There was also a man holding a horse on each side of the bridge. The horse on the U.S. side was a black horse with a rather dull coat (I think). The horse on the U.K. side was a beautiful shiny bay (I think). Horses usually represent my energy to me in dreams. I'm not sure which horse was actually on which side of the bridge, and I'm afraid that is probably a big key in deciphering this dream's meaning. Poo.

Exercise: 30 minute treadmill work out.
Sauna: 20 minutes
Energy: grrrrrreat!
Comments: Nothing really exciting is happening. Day 40 came and went and now I'm looking forward to the next big goal. Day 46 is the half-way point of feasting and my next big milestone, but I've got to get through a tough weekend first. :)

Juice Feast-Day 40

DAY 40!!!!
Befores & Afters

I meant to do this on day 30, but I forgot. So here are some before and after pictures from today. I wore the same shirt and jeans and tried to do my hair about the same (which means not doing it..hee,hee). Sorry about the difference in lighting :) I think it's quite an amazing transformation for only 40 days...but hey, that's juice feasting!

Honestly, I have no idea who the sad woman in the top pictures is. I don't even recognize her. The woman on the bottom, however, is starting to look like someone I remember! As of this picture I know I've released 27 lbs. I only weigh myself on Sundays, so I couldn't say how much more weight has been lost in the past 5 days.

Just Say "NO!" To the Perfume Counter


Today I went shopping for a bachelorette party gift at Victoria's Secret. While I was there, I decided (like an idiot) to spray a perfume tester onto my wrist to sample a fragrance. YUCK!!!! I may have just as well sprayed it directly into my face, because that was my body's response...instant toxic overload. My eyes starting tearing, my throat became sore and my head started to pound. I really thought I was going to puke. Lesson learned: It's apparent to me that in just 40 short day, juice feasting has increased my sensitivity to chemicals.


Since day 1 of this feast I've avoided all cosmetics, including lotions, lip balm, perfume, make-up, and yes, even deodorant (don't worry, I check well and check often). I'm still using shampoo and conditioner, natural bar soaps and Tom's of Main toothpaste. But it just doesn't make sense to me to detoxify my body while putting chemicals on my skin. After all, it's the largest detox organ we have! Stepping out without make-up isn't always easy (although, for me it's never been too hard) , so I'm going to to rely on a natural sunny glow for some up-coming social events.

Juicy Diary-Day 40

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water
32 oz water
4 oz orange juice + 3 MSM + 2 casacara sagrada
27 oz green juice (kale, parsley, spinach, cilantro, dandelion greens, green bell pepper, mini sweet red peppers, jalapeno, garlic, celery, cucumber, carrots, onion, Spanish radish, horseradish). OH MY...SOOOO GOOD!!
27 oz green juice
32 oz water
32 oz pineapple/strawberry

Total juice = 122 oz (0.95 gallons)
Total water = 96 oz (0.75 gallons)
---------------------

Sleep & dreams: 8 hrs. No dream recall
Exercise: shopping? ha! Umm...no.
Sauna: 30 minutes
Energy: Excellent
Physical observations: I still have a rash on my tummy and a few weird looking bumps on my shins (not itchy, though). My face is breaking out a bit again, too. I'm actually going to have to trim my fingernails today...not something I ever thought would come up in this lifetime :)
Comments: Well, here it is day 40 already. I'm really happy to have made it this far on my juice feast and excited about the mental, physical, and spiritual gains I've made thus far on my journey.

I have a tough 4 day period coming up starting on Sunday-one day long party and then a trip out of town for a few days. I'm going to be around a lot of people who (A) don't understand what I'm doing and (B) don't approve. I'm certainly going into this time with my guard up and will do my best to prepare myself both physically (with lots of juice) and mentally. Juice on, feasters!

Juice Feast-Day 39

Sunshine & Sea Kayaking

My husband and I spent the afternoon kayaking on the big lake today. It was absolute bliss being back out on the water again! We lucked out on the weather, too-sunny skies and minimal wind. This was our first time out this season, so after only a few miles of paddling we were feeling it. I feel so incredibly blessed to live where I do!

I Love My Zing!

I realize how weird this is going to sound, but my latest juice craze is watermelon/jalapeno. Zing! I've come to find that I like jalapeno in EVERYTHING! I think it's because sweet & spicy go really well together. Tonight I picked up some horseradish. I couldn't find any raw horseradish roots (not in season yet?) so I bought a jar of ground organic horseradish instead. I plan to mix some in with my green juices tomorrow. Zing!!!

Juicy Diary-Day 39

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water

2 oz orange juice + 3 MSM + 2 cascara sagrada

1 Tbsp coconut oil dissolved in warm water

27 oz green juice (kale, cilantro, dandelion greens, spinach, celery, cucumber, green bell pepper, mini sweet red peppers, jalapenos, garlic, onion, carrots)

32 oz water

27 oz green juice

34 oz watermelon/jalapeno

16 oz watermelon/jalapeno

Total juice = 106 oz (0.83 gallons)

Total water = 64 oz (0.50 gallons)

----------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 8 hrs. No dream recall (at least not while posting this)

Exercise: 2 hours of kayaking

Sauna: nope

Energy: Awesome energy until after kayaking, and then I was just tired from all the fresh air and exercise, not low energy.

Comments: Things are humming along wonderfully. I do have a small, itchy rash on my tummy. I remember having a similar rash (in the exact same spot) about 9 years ago. At that time I had my belly button pierced and was allergic to any cheap metals touching my skin. I'm assuming this is more detox???

Juice Feast-Day 38

Done With The Heavy Lifting


Last night I did a 30-minute run/walk program on the treadmill. After I finished, I picked up a 15 lb dumbbell in each hand and kept walking for a few more minutes. Wow! I got worn out almost immediately. I've released 27 lbs so far on this feast, and picking up those weights made me really appreciate just how much I have lightened my load. I'm SO done with the heavy lifting. My body feels so much less burdened right now!

Hunger Crisis Resolved???? YES!!!!


While juice feasting, sometimes it's so hard to know if our bodies are asking us for food because it needs missing nutrients, or if the struggle is more of a psychological one. Hunger has been an almost continuous battle for me while on this feast, but I think I've finally figured some thing out.

I'm really starting to pay close attention to how each type of juice affects me. For example, I'm never hungry after drinking green juices and I'm always hungry within an hour after drinking ANY fruit juices. I know I'm

I'm still not giving my body exactly what it's asking for, because it's still asking me for Vintage Italian Pizza. Instead, I'm giving it half green juice and half fruit juice. That way I know I'm covered nutrient-wise. My green juice contains "everything but the kitchen sink", including a minimum of 2 lbs of leafy greens, 1 whole head of celery and 1 cucumber. And my fruit juices always contain at least 2-3 different fruit every day-usually at least 1 type of berry. I fear that shorting my juices on either end (fruits or greens) will evoke some kind of response that will overwhelm my resolve.

***DRINK YOUR FATS!***

I know we need them everyday, but I've been avoiding them for days. (weeks?) Today I had a Tbsp of coconut oil dissolved in warm water (my morning tea :) Juice feasting protocols recommend 1 Tbsp a day of flax/hemp oil while on this feast (slightly less often if using coconut oil). I know this is medically sound and required by our bodies for proper functioning-but I've still avoided it. It's felt too heavy to me. Today after having some I felt immediately wonderful. Totally satisfied! I wasn't craving fats this morning, I just thought that maybe it would help with hunger today. It did. All day long. I think maybe the Vintage Italian Pizza cravings are just my body asking for some more fats :)



We Can Learn A Lot From Ants
For example...Persistence.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solve and always will solve the problems of the human race." Calvin Coolidge

Juice Diary-Day 38

(today's juice & supplements)

32 oz water

32 oz water

2 oz orange juice + 3 MSM + 2 cascara sagrada

34 oz green juice (spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, red lettuce, mini sweet red peppers, green bell pepper, carrots, cilantro, dandelion greens, garlic, onion, jalapeno).

34 oz green juice

32 oz water

38 oz fruit juice (watermelon/raspberry)

Total juice = 108 oz (0.8 gallons)

Total water = 96 oz (0.75 gallons)

-----------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 8 hrs. I remember having a lot of dreams last night, I just don't remember much in the way of content. I woke up feeling sad and remember telling my husband I had a lot of sad dreams.

Exercise: walk with dog (kayaking tomorrow!)

Sauna: nope

Energy: Really great again today. I'm hoping that I've finally figured out my hunger pattern as it relates to the types of juices I'm drinking.

Comments: Don't be fooled into thinking that green juices only "heal" and fruit juices only "cleanse." Both do both. If for example, you stop drinking greens because you don't think you have anything to "heal" or you don't like the taste, eventually your body will run short on certain nutrients that it can only get from greens. You then run the risk of feeling "hungry" by way of your body's attempt to get you to replace what is missing.

Juice Feast-Day 37

My Juicy Olympics

I was watching the U.S. Olympic trials in men's and women's gymnastics this weekend and all of the athletes inspired me to continue my juice feast. Hour after hour, day after day, year after year, these athletes have exercised tireless discipline and made incredible personal sacrifices to pursuit of their goal of representing their country in the Olympic games. When they felt like quitting, they didn't give up. We they got injured, they didn't give up. When they wanted to sleep in or relax with friends, I bet they trained anyway. You know why? They all have personal RESOLVE. What an inspiration!!!!

I decided that this juice feast is a lot like the Olympics. It's a platform for achieving the best health I can attain. My own personal road to excellence. The Olympics start on 08.08.08. That's just nine days before my 92-day juice feast ends. I know I can make it. I just have to have personal resolve!

The following poem was found in Mother Theresa's room after she died...

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them...anyway.

Good Stuff, eh?
Juicy Diary-Day 37

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water

4 oz orange juice + 3 MSM + 2 cascara sagrada

8 oz watermelon/blueberry/strawberry

30 oz green juice (wheat grass, spinach from my garden!, dandelion greens, cilantro, celery, cucumber, sweet mini pepper, green bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, carrots, onion, garlic)

32 oz water

30 oz green juice

32 oz water

34 oz red grape/plum/orange

Total Juice = 106 oz (0.83 gallons)

Total Water = 96 oz (0.75 gallons)

---------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 8 hrs. No dream recall.

Exercise: Walk with dog, 1/2 hr cardio on treadmill

Sauna: 30 minutes

Energy: great! It's feels so good to have energy after my two day water fast.

Comments: This is day 37, which means I have 55 more days to go. Amazing! I'm a mere 9 days from the 1/2 way point! Yipee! I'm feeling really great today, and now that my water fast is over my skin has its juice glow back :) I had a huge BM yesterday after returning to juices from water. This turned into huge diarrhea last night. (At least it's moving on out, right?) I ordered Parastoy (a parasite cleanser) today. I plan to start it on day 45. Feeling really great about starting to add in some exercise, too.

Juice Feast-Day 35 & 36

Day 35

Two Day Water Fast is Over...

I continued my two day water fast on day 35. It was so INTENSE that I had zero energy to post yesterday-sorry about that! Anyway, it's over. And thank goodness! I definitely spiraled into a deeper state of detox. By late last night I could barely hold my head up. I experienced episodes of sneezing, coughing, headaches, and nausea. Ugh. Probably not something I'm going to do again.

Today-Day 36....

I woke up this morning light-headed and with low energy. I immediately juiced an orange, and within 5 minutes I was feeling like a human being again. I followed the orange juice up with 32 oz of water and 32 oz of watermelon/strawberry/blueberry juice. Mmmmm! Perfect! It was SO yummy and refreshing! Within a few minutes my blood sugar was back up to par and I was feeling a lot more energetic.

I discovered that water fasting is good for more than just detoxing. It's also a great way to renew your interest in juice. Lately my juices have been tasting the same, but today all of them tasted really good to me again.
Candida Issues?

I'm not sure, but I'm starting to wonder if I have candida issues in my GI track. It's likely that I've been clearing out a lot of my beneficial flora while feasting. Yeast cells are harder to expell, so now I'm concerned that I may have tipped the balance in yeast's direction. Candida is a common yeast in the skin, mouth, gut and vagina.

Signs of Yeast in the Gastrointestinal Tract (gut):
Belching or regurgitating
Coated tongue
Constipation alternating w/ diarrhea
Cramping
Diarrhea
Distention or stomach pains
Frequent heartburn
Gas
Growling/Gurgling noises
Hemorrhoids
Itching anal area
Sore gums or tingling
Sour Stomach
Unusual sensation on tongue
White area on gums
White on corners of mouth

I am currently experiencing 10 of these symptoms. I'm really not sure what to do about it at this point, other than wait it out. Ironically, one of the best ways to get rid of candida is to do a 5-day water fast. Uff da! I'm not ready for that.

Latest Weight Stats

Today marks the start of week 6, so time to weigh-in again. I'm down another 5 lbs for the week! Whooppeee!Here's a recap of my weight stats so far:

Starting weight: 188

Weight loss week #1: -11 lbs

Weight loss week #2: 3 lbs

Weight loss week #3: 4lbs

Weight loss week #4: 4 lbs

Weight loss week #5: 5 lbs

Total weight loss 27 lbs. Current weight: 161 lbs

Juicy Diary-Day 36

(today's juices & supplements)

4 oz orange juice

32 oz water + 3 MSM+2 cascara sagrada

32 oz watermelon/strawberry/blueberry

32 oz green juice (kale, cucumber, celery, dandelion greens, cilantro, zucchini, green bell pepper, garlic, onion)

32 oz green juice

32 oz water

32 oz watermelon/strawberry/blueberry

32 oz water

Total Juice = 132 oz (1.03 gallons)

Total Water = 96 0z (0.75 gallons)

---------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 9 hrs (BLISS). I can't remember exactly what I drempt about, but I know it was a bit unsettling. Probably more detox dreams.

Exercise: hike with dog

Sauna: 30 minutes

Energy: Back to normal after getting back into the juices today.

Comments: For the past few days I've been debating how long I can last on this feast. Everytime I get to a "landmark" day (like day 30) I think that I've gone far enough. After all, 30 days is great, right? I'm just not sure whether it's my ego speaking, or if my body is just ready to be done. Then after my two day water fast I was sure I was going to be done. A new day dawned, however, and now my head is back in the game again. As of today, I can still see myself hanging in there for another 56 days.

Juice Feast-Day 34

A Day of Water Fasting

photo courtesy of Zsuzsanna kilien, www.sxc.hu/profile/nkzs

A short post today....
Our city's annual marathon is tomorrow and we're hosting some out-of-town runners for the night. I decided between working and prepping for company it would be easier to do a water fast. I'm happy to say that it's actually gone really well so far-no really serious bouts of detox or low energy. I haven't been hungry at all, and despite a rather dismal intake of fluids for the day, I have only a mild headache (also possibly in part from a lack of sleep).

I did have a quart of green grape/orange/apple leftover from yesterday, so it hasn't been a water fast in the true sense. If I feel decent in the morning I'm going to water fast tomorrow, too. I'm hoping to kick start my body into a deeper state of detox and healing. Sunday will start a new week for me and so it will be a good time to hop back on the juices.

Juice Feast-Day 33

Emotional Fits & Starts

Today was weird. One minute I was crying and the next minute I was dancing around with my Ipod feeling on top of the world. The crying was a nice release for me (the dancing, too). Very cleansing. I really needed it! By the end of the day I felt exhausted. I hope it happens again.

Major Water Retention

I feel swollen and puffy today, like a pig (no offense to my porcine brethren). It feels like every drop of fluid that I'm taking in is staying in. I'm peeing a lot though, so I don't really get it. I've had so many wonderful "slim & trim" days lately, that today having some water retention makes everything feel extra jiggly. Ugh...It's not my favorite. Still, I honor the process of this feast, and I'm grateful for whatever happens to me each day. I trust that my body knows what it need to do. I wonder if it's resting and regrouping for the next 1/3 of the journey.


Juicy Diary-Day 33

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water +MSM +cascara sagrada

32 oz green juice (kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, green bell pepper, cilantro, dandelion greens, carrots, jalapenos, garlic, red onion)

32 oz green juice

32 oz water

32 oz green grape/orange/granny smith

20 oz watermelon/blueberry/strawberry

Total Juice = 116 oz (0.91 gallons)

Total Water = 64 oz water (0.50 gallons)

------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 8 hrs. I didn't wake up very rested today, even though I slept 8 hrs. I remember a partial dream. My husband and I were driving down the road. He said he was lost and almost simultaneously, I realized we had driven over a cliff. Now we were plummeting down through the tops of some very tall pine trees. As the car flipped over I remember thinking how tall the pine trees looked. I couldn't see the ground beneath them because they were so tall, and thought to myself it's going to seem like forever before impact. I experienced the continuous sensation of falling head first. I remember closing my eyes to wait for the impact and wondering if I would die instantly, or if I would feel anything at all. I became lucid at this point and stayed with the feeling of falling for a few seconds. Then I got scared and woke myself up. I think I was afraid of what would happen if I stayed with the feeling...

Exercise: no

Sauna: no

Energy: Like a faucet. Sometimes a trickle, other times full blast.

Juice Feast-Day 32

!!! Let The Sun Shine !!!
Another Miracle While Feasting


Ahhh...I'm getting used to miracles. Another rather miraculous thing happened to me today. It would seem that I no longer need to wear sunglasses (although it's probably still a good idea). As I was driving to the store today, I reached into the middle console (out of habit) to grab my sunglasses. Oops! Shoot. Left them at home. But... wait!! I'm not squinting? I'm not squinting! There's not a cloud in the sky and I'm not squinting!

Now this is crazy because normally my eyes are VERY sensitive to light. Even with my windshield visor down and sunglasses on, I still drive around squinting-day or night (oncoming headlights at night really bug me). Even when walking out into bright sunlight after being inside stores today, I still never had to squint! Hmm....it appears that my body (with the help of all of this juicy goodness) has set out to correct this problem.

Blueberry Extract & Visual Acuity

So guess what else? Tonight I was reading about the various healing properties of the of fruits I've been eating. I had done some research on the greens before, but so far with the fruits, I've just been juicing whatever appeals to me most.


Lately I've been eating tons of berries-especially blueberries ( I love them. They are very Minnesota). Here's a quote from my favorite juicing book, The Complete Book of Juicing by Michael T.Murry, N.D. (It's so weird that on the day I notice my eyes are less sensitive to light, I would also run across this info...a happy cosmic event indeed!)

"...During World War II, British Royal Air Force pilots consumed bilberry (a variety of blueberry) preserves before their night missions, believing the folk wisdom that bilberries improve night vision. After the war, numerous studies demonstrated that blueberry extracts do in fact improve nighttime visual acuity and lead to quicker adjustment to darkness and faster restoration of visual acuity after exposure to glare..."

I've been juicing either strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries and blueberries nearly every day on this feast. So there it is folks. The power of juicing! Ahhhhhh! I LOVE this juice feast!!!!! I am SOOOO grateful for all of the healing taking place in my mind, body and spirit on this feast!
Juicy Diary-Day 31

(today's Juices & supplements)

32 oz water+ 3 MSM caps + 2 cascara sagrada

32 oz water

32 oz green juice (kale, spinach, dandelion greens, celery, cucumber, green bell pepper, carrots, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno)

32 oz water

32 oz green juice

32 oz cantaloupe/blueberry/strawberry

32 oz cantaloupe/blueberry/strawberry

Total juice = 128 oz (1 gallon)

Total water = 96 oz (0.75 gallons)

---------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 5 hrs. Dreamt about my favorite rock band (U2). Every 3-4 months or so, I dream that I'm sitting around talking with Bono, Edge, Adam, and Larry. Sometimes it's in a diner. Sometimes at a pub. We just shoot the breeze. I ask them stuff about what they've been up to. They ask me stuff about what I've been up to. We talk about politics and current events. They relay funny stories about ditching the paparazzi, or occasionally give me tickets to a dream time concert. Sometimes they raise a little hell with the juke box. At times (usually Bono) has to dash off because of some special project or public appearance. Even in dream time, they seem quite busy.

It all seems very real. Very friendly. Very normal. It had been a while since we sat down and chatted and I enjoyed catching up with them.

Exercise: walk with Buck

Sauna: nope

Energy: Do I even have to say it? Awesome as usual-who needs sleep anyway?

Physical observations: My sensitivity to light seems to have improved drastically. Some kind of unusual things are happening with my skin, too. I've had freckles, sun spots and former lesions, reappear one day and disappear the next. Having some small, short-lived (like 24 hrs) outbreaks of acne, too.

Juice Feast-Day 31

Feeling Level
I don't really feel like I'm juice feasting anymore. It's more like I'm juicing and going about my daily life.I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I'm feeling level.. no ups or downs...everything is just level.


I suspect I'm at a place where my body and mind are going to coast for a bit before going deeper into detox and cleansing. I'm seeing obvious progress in little bits here and there, but I'm not experiencing any big "A ha!" moments. I'm grateful for the process no matter what is happening, even if it seems nothing is happening.

Juicy Diary-Day 31

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water +3MSM+ 2 cascara sagrada

32 oz water

30 oz green juice (kale, celery, cucumber, dandelion greens, cilantro, green bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, garlic, onion, jalapeno).

32 oz water

30 oz green juice

32 oz pineapple/raspberry

32 oz pineapple/raspberry

Total Juice = 124 oz (0.97 gallons)

Total Water = 96 ox (0.75 gallons)

------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 8.5 hrs. No dream recall

Exercise: walk with dog

Sauna: 30 minutes

Energy: great

Comments: The white stripe down the middle of my tongue has returned. Oh, and my period lasted a mere 24 hrs.

Today I made a conscious effort to think about the juicy goodness of my green juice as I was drinking it. I have been "choking" it down lately and holding a feeling of dread while drinking (it tastes nasty). That can't be good! Today I tried to focus on how the "strong" taste is related to the strength of its healing power, and think about how grateful I am for its ability to heal my body.

Juice Feast-Day 30

Whoopppeeee!
30 DAYS!

Well, I made it to 30 days. I am officially 1/3 of the way done with this juice feasting journey. Amazing. Simply, amazing. Today one of the people I love most in the world was diagnosed with another impending health crisis. When I first hear the news I wanted to bail on my feast. In fact, I was ready to head out to breakfast to drown my sorrows in a cup of coffee spiked with Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Instead, I took a few deep breaths, found my center, and realized that what lay before me is an amazing opportunity to secure the future of my own health. Staying focused on my feast will give me the energy and strength I need to support this loved one in the coming weeks and months. My daily juice intake has now become MY life saving medicine. MY infusion of health. I now have 100% resolve to see this feast to completion. I'm just so grateful.
Juicy Diary-Day 30

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water + 3 MSM caps +2 cascara sagrada

32 oz water

26 oz green juice (kale, cilantro, dandelion greens, celery, cucumber, carrots, sweet pepper, green bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and zucchini)

26 oz green juice

32 oz water

32 oz green grape, apple, orange

32 oz green grape, apple, orange

Total juice = 116 oz (0.91 gallons)

Total water = 96 oz (0.75 gallons)

-----------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 6 hrs. No dream recall. Went to bed at 6 am and got up at noon (deadline :)

Exercise: Nada. Thought I would start to amp it up a bit today but never squeezed it in.

Sauna: nada

Energy:good

Physical Observations: I got my period today...or at least experienced some bleeding. That's significant to me, because I went through early menopause (a.k.a. premature ovarian failure) 9 years ago, so I don't get periods anymore. Not sure what is going on, but even if my ovaries don't come back online completely, I feel like there is a certain level of healing going on in that area....wow...amazing.

Juice Feast-Day 29

The Start of Week Five

Happy Father's Day fathers! I so *heart* my Dad!

Today is day twenty-nine for me, which brings me to the start of another new week (#5) on my feasting journey. The start of each new week also means a weigh-in.

Here are my numbers so far...

Starting weight: 188

End of week 1: 177 (-11 lbs)

End of week 2: 174 (-4 lbs)

End of week 3: 170 (-4 lbs)

End of week 4: 166 (-4 lbs)

Total weight loss so far = 22 lbs. Not too shabby!

It seems like a weight release of 4 lbs per week (1/2 lb per day) is still holding true. I hope I can keep that up. That would put me somewhere in the 130 lb range by the end of this feast-about 10 to 15 lbs shy of where I would like to bottom out. I'm going to start adding in some weights and cardio tomorrow. Should be interesting to see what happens after upping my calorie output.

Juicy Diary-Day 29

(today's juices and supplements)

1 1/2 cups Chai/coconut tea (decaf)

32 oz water +3 MSM +2 cascara sagrada + 4 oz orange juice

32 oz water

37 oz green juice (kale, spinach, cilantro, dandelion greens, cucumber, celery, green bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, carrots, zucchini, assorted sweet peppers)

34 oz green juice

32 oz water

32 oz pineapple/orange

32 oz pineapple/orange

Total juice = 135 oz (1.05 gallons)

Total water = 128 oz (1.00 gallons)

------------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 8.5 hrs. No dream recall

Exercise: 1 mile hike with dog

Sauna: no

Energy: great!

Comments: I'm thrilled to down another 4 lbs this week! I'm trying a new tactic today-setting my cell phone alarm for every two hours. Hopefully spacing things out a bit more will really help keep my metabolism humming. Happy to have more juice today to amp up reserves for some heavier exercise tomorrow :)

Tomorrow feels like an important day. I'm nearly 1/3 of the way there!! :)

Juice Feast-Day 28

Nail Health

Your fingernails can tell you a lot about your health, and Dang!, I'm happy to say that my nails have never looked healthier and they are growing like gangbusters!

Before this feast, I kept my nails short. As a writer, I found that it was easier to type that way. Yeah...right. The truth is, growing them out would have been impossible. My nails were usually either too brittle, or they would peel too much to maintain any sort of respectable length.

I also had Lunulae issues. Lunulae are the little half-moon shaped white spots that appear at the base of your nail bed. According to Eastern Medical Philosophies, the desirable number of lunulae is 8. You don't want them on your pinky nails. Their appearance there could point circulation or digestive problems. Less than 8 lunulae is also a bad sign. This can signal any number of health issues, including, poor circulation, anemia, fatigue, lack of exercise, heart disease, nervous system imbalances, numbness, protein deficiency, Vitamin A deficiency or low life "chi" (life force). It can also mean that I'm forgetting to slow down and breathe:)

Before starting my juice feast, I lacked lunulae on ALL but my thumbnails. After 4 weeks on this juice feast, tiny white slivers of lunulae are have started to appear on all but my pinky fingers. Yippee for me and my Chi!!!
Analyze the health of your finger nails here.

I'm Cuckoo for Coconut Oil!

I'm getting a little tired of flax oil, so I added a new food to my feast today-raw, untreated, virgin coconut oil. Oh, my! Deeee Vine! The health and nutritional benefits that can be derived from consuming coconut oil have been recognized around the world for centuries. Waaaaaay too many to list here, so if you like, read more about the health benefits of coconut oil here. Coconut oil solidifies at room temperature and melts at 76 degrees F, so I wasn't sure how to take it. After reading up on it, I found out that it is yummy enough to take by the tablespoon solid (every 3-4 days if your juice feasting), or you can dissolve it in warm water and drink it like a tea/broth (so far, I can only vouch for this-deee lish!) Either way, it's a nice change of flavors and a great way to get your oil.

Juice Diary-Day 28

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water + 3 MSM+ 2 cascara sagrada+2 oz orange juice
32 oz water
8 oz watermelon/blueberry
32 oz water
54 oz green juice (spinach, celery, cucumber, zucchini, green bell pepper, carrot, assorted sweet pepper, garlic, jalapeno).
8 oz warm water + 1 Tbsp coconut oil
32 oz water
36 oz watermelon/strawberry


Total juice =106 oz (0.83 gallons)
Total water = 96 oz (0.75 gallons)

-----------------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 9 hrs. Another dream about making amends with past wrongs.

Exercise: Nope.

Sauna: Nope

Energy: Great energy all day.

Physical observations: My skin blows my mind right now. It's so soft, firm, and beautiful that I've had to take a few double takes when glancing in the mirror. I look SOOOOOO much younger! I woke up to a pink tongue this morning. I'm not sure whether or not my white detox stripe will come back or not, but I have a sense that I'm leaving some of the major physical detox behind-especially now that I've shed that disgusting mucoid plaque. As I noted above, the lunulae are starting to show up in my nail beds again :)

I did wake up with some pain on my right side again. Not sure if this is old appendix stuff or gas. I took an enema straight away this morning, and it passed pretty quickly after that. I've thought about doing a liver/gallbladder flush while on my feast, but I'm sort of taking a wait-and-see approach. I'm also thinking about switching my dog over to raw. While I'm looking into it, I'm tossing some fresh fruit and veggies bites into his bowl while preparing juice. He LOVES it, but then labs love EVERYTHING!

Juice Feast-Day 27

The Sun Shines Again!

Today was a good day...SOOO much better then yesterday! The sun is shining and so are my spirits! My green star has yet to arrive, so I've been limping along with the one-armed bandit. A mountain of produce and 1/2 day later, I have 1/2 the juice I need for the day. Then to make matters worse, I found out today that the green star may take a long as two weeks to get here ( I misread he shipping info). Wahhhhhhhhh! I'm going to need more duct tape. Oh well, I'm grateful not to have to juice by hand :)

I'm trying to drink 3/4 of a gallon of juice each day (at least until the green star gets here-then I'll drink more). Two thirds of that is green (tastes nasty lately) and one third fruit. I'm drinking equally as much in water. The past few days my juice and water intake have been down. I've been paying for it in hunger pangs, food cravings, and yellow pee (a sure sign of not being hydrated). Feeing back in the "clear" today.

Had I been raw for a while before going into this, I might trust my body to guide me a bit more in terms of my juice and water intake. I experimented with that somewhat over the past few days, and found that it didn't work so well. My body was pretty addicted to S.A.D. foods before starting this feast, and when left to its own devices, it doesn't seem to ask me for any fluids at all right now (probably still confused by all of the juicy nutrients it's getting). For now, I'm going to have to play the role of, "Ellen knows best." Once I feel like it has had enough time to sufficiently heal (especially now that I've released so much mucoid plaque), I plan to take a step back and trust it to guide me.

Juicy Diary-Day 27

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water+3 MSM cap+2 cascara sagrada+2 0z orange juice

8 oz watermelon/lime juice

32 oz water

54 oz green juice (beets, kale, celery, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, dandelion greens, zucchini, carrots, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeno)

32 oz water

34 oz watermelon/blueberry

Total juice = 96 oz (0.75 gallons)

Total water = 96 ox (0.75 gallons)

--------------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 8.5 hrs (Got new curtains. They block out ALL the light). No dream recall.

Exercise: 1 mile hike with dog

Sauna: 30 minutes

Energy: Good.

Comments: I felt oddly light-headed today--especially after taking a sauna. I think it was the combination of the beets I added to my juice, waiting until late in the day before I started drinking juice, and a bit of detox happening. Taking a sauna drops your blood pressure, and I took mine today right after drinking a lot of green juice. I think the combination nearly caused me to keel over. Won't do that again! It's going to feel like Christmas when that green star gets here.

Juice Feast-Day 26

A Bumpy Day On The Road

Today wasn't particularily eventful, but I definitely feel like I've entered another cycle of detox...at least emotionally. I had 4 different dreams last night, and in all of them I was under some kind of duress. I woke up feeing stressed out and was in a bit of a slump all day long.


All day long I debated whether or not I could continue this feast. Today I felt more like I was a prisoner than a person on a physical and emotional journey. It seems like all I do is spend time in the kitchen jucing, drinking juice, or cleaning up the mess.

Sometimes it seems like lasting another 66 days is impossible. I'm tired of battling my ego and my cravings...tired...but I'm willing to press on. I know I can stop anytime I want to, which in way, gives me all the freedom I need. These cycles of detox seem to arrive every 4-5 days, last a day or two, and then move on. At least the days inbetween are absolute bliss...This too shall pass....

Juicy Diary-Day 26

(Today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water+3MSM+2 cascara sagrada
32 oz watermelon/lime
32 oz water
47 oz of green juice (kale, rainbow chard, parsley, cilantro, celery, carrots, cucumber, green bell pepper, zucchini, onion, garlic, jalapenos)
32 oz water

Total juice = 79 oz ( 0.6 gallons)
Total water = 96 oz (0.7 gallons)
----------------------------
Sleep & dreams: 9.5 hours (and still woke up tired!) Four dreams, and in all of them I was "in the weeds" in some way or another.
Exercise: Took the dog for a long walk on the beach.
Sauna: 20 minutes
Energy: Good
Comments: Looking forward...---> ---> Happy to be done with this day!

Juice Feast-Day 25

Sending Myself Some Summer!

It's raining here....again. Not that I really mind that much (it gives me an excuse to lay low on my days off), but the temperatures are hovering in the low 40's and I've got the green juicy colds. I know it's hasn't officially started yet, but if feels like summer is never going to get here. (*sigh*)

I usually chill some of my green juice for drinking later in the day. Today I left it out on the counter so it would warm up to room temp. Kinda like green soup :)

Introducing the Star of My Juice Feast

After much research and deliberation, we decided to make out next juicer a Green Star 3000. It's a budget buster for sure, but so is buying a new juicer every 5 weeks (this will be juicer #3).

In a surprising twist, I was able to find one for sale locally. When scouring the Internet for the lowest prices on a Green Star, I discovered Wilderness Family Naturals.
As it turns out, this family operates a raw food and natural products web store from their wilderness home, which is located roughly an hour north of here. Yipeee!!!!! In these parts, that's considered local! And as a bonus, my juicer will take only 1 day to ship :)

Juicy Diary-Day 25

(today's juices & supplements)

32 oz water+3 caps MSM+2 cascara sagrada+2 oz lemon juice

20 oz carrot/apple juice (blah!)

60 oz green juice (kale, parsley, cilantro, celery, cucumber, zucchini, green bell pepper, carrots, onion, garlic, jalapeno)

32 oz water

32 oz pineapple/strawberry

Total juice = 112 oz (0.88)

Total water = 64 oz (0.05 gallons)

---------------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 6 hrs. No dream recall

Exercise: nope

Sauna: 30 minutes

Energy: Outstanding :)

Comments: Another remarkable day, in that it was completely unremarkable. Unlike yesterday, no alien BMs today. Seeing as how the "one-armed bandit" isn't the most efficient, I strained most of my juice pulp through an old pair of pantyhose today (works great in a pinch). Looking forward to getting my Green Star in a day or two!!!

Juice Feast-Day 24

3 Things That Puzzle Me

#1. Why, oh why has my Jack LaLanne juicer decided to crap out on me after only having for a little over a month (I bought it April 25th)?

#2. Why, oh why do companies advertise replacement parts and warranties on their products, when in fact they have no intention of making good on them when you call them out on it.

#3. What, oh what the heck was that long, rope-like poogie was that I released after having an enema this morning? Uff da!

So, lets start with puzzler #1 and #2 shall we? Yes, it's sad, but true. "Jack" pooped out on me this afternoon right after juicing my greens. A little plastic knob that the centrifuge basket and blade sit on cracked-rendering the whole machine useless. I'm S.O.L. for getting the company to give me a replacement. *sour puss smile*

Thank God I kept the one-armed bandit, my el-cheapo Hamilton Beach from Target that is literally being held together by duct tape (I call it the one-armed bandit because you have to hold it down with one hand while it's running :) It came through for me with my fruit juice.

The problem is, the bandit is horribly inefficient and leaves the pulp sopping wet. I have no nut mylk bag to strain the pulp with, so I fashioned some old pantyhose onto the end of a plastic peanut butter tub, cut off the other end, and tried to "milk" what juice remained into my pitcher. It wasn't the smoothest operation. On my first attempt, pulp came pouring out of a run in the pantyhose and the mesh on pair #2 was too closely woven so not much juice could squeeze through. wahhhhhhhh!!!!!!! In any event, I got 'er done!

I've solicited some advice from my feaster friends on good replacement options. So far it sounds like Omega, Champion, Breville, and Vitamix are the front runners. A decision I will put off until tomorrow.

So...on to puzzler #3

!!! Warning !!! Poop Talk !!!
(Sorry no pics. It seemed inappropriate given my Scandinavian Lutheran upbringing).

This morning I got up and took my 32 oz of water/lemon juice and MSM like usual. Then I had to run to the co-op and on my way out the door, I decide I need to stop for a BM. Okay. Have you seen the horrific pictures of those rubbery, rope-like mucoid plaque thingys? You know, the ones you see on all of the colon cleansing websites? Umm....yep. You betcha! That's exactly what I passed!!! And it was like 10 inches long, too! I was SOOOOOO excited to finally see this stuff with my own eyes!!! It lives!!!

Then after returning from the co-op, I decide to give myself an enema. I got the feeling that there was "more" in there to clear out...and there was....like 30 inches more!!!! (no joke, I used a chop stick to lift it out of the toilet and examine it-which, by the way, seems so incredibly odd to admit to)

So where did this come from? My small intestine? Was it actually mucoid plaque? Or was it something else? I have to fess up to the fact that the day before, I took a psyllium/benonite shake (probably my 3rd or 4th one so far on this feast), plus I downed a 1/2 gallon of apple/rasp/orange juice (HEAVY on the apples). Why now? I've taken psyllium benonite before and never passed this stuff-even with regular bowel movements afterwards. Was it the addition of the apples? I've also read about people just fasting on water alone (no supplements) and passing this kind of stuff. What is REALLY going on here?????

There's a lot of controversy surrounding the very existence of mucoid plaque, and I have never been completely convinced that really exists (at least in the dramatic way shown in pictures). It seems to me that it could just be the psyllium/bentonite on it's way out. Then again, could that kind of volume of waste be produced by only 1Tbsp of psyllium and 1 Tbsp of bentonite plus juice? I guess either way, I don't care. I figure even if it is just a result of the pysllium and benonite, if there's any extra poogies hanging out in there, they are probably going to hitch ride on the way out!
Juicy Diary-Day 24

(Today's Juices & Supplements)

32 oz water+lemon juice+3 MSM caps+2cascara sagrada caps+B12

12 oz apple/raspberry/orange

32 oz water

60 oz green juice (kale, celery, cucumber, zucchini, green bell pepper, carrots, rainbow chard, garlic, onion, jalapeno)

32 oz pineapple/strawberry

Total juice = 104 oz (0.81 gallons)
Total water = 64 oz (0.5 gallons)

-------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 5 hrs. I had a dream where a whole bunch of my cousins were getting together for a reunion. We talked about how different is was that all the "old ones" were gone. It seemed like fewer people were interested in keeping in touch now that our lives had all changed.
Exercise: 1 mile hike with dog
Sauna: 30 minutes
Energy: Wha Hooooo!
Comments: A weird day in terms of things (ahem) "crapping out":) Cleaver, eh? I went low on the juice intake today because I wanted to save a quart for tomorrow morning. I'm going shopping for a new juicer!

Juice Feast-Day 23

What is EGO?
Edging...God...Out


I found this great new website yesterday. For whatever reason, I really resonate with this woman. Maybe it's because I thought I was going to be a veterinarian someday, too. Anyway...here's an exercise I found on her site...

The "I Love Me" Exercise
Look into the mirror on a daily basis and say to yourself, "I love you. What can I do to make YOU happy today?" Then DO what that little voice says.

If you do this for a month and keep a journal of what the voice says and write down that you did what it says, this excites your Guides and Angels because they know you are opening yourself up to their love and guidance.

The purpose of this exercise is to develop inner wisdom and confidence by following your instincts. It teaches you to honor and trust the guidance you receive and to make a stronger connection with your God. It teaches you to love yourself and to understand that you must take care of you and fill yourself with love before you have love to give others.

Many people with the Spiritual lesson of learning to love themselves are over-achievers. The more they do, they hope the more people will notice and love them. This can be extremely exhausting. They are trying to get love from external sources when it really needs to come from within.

You have lots of people pulling for you on this side and beyond the veil. Once you take time to listen to your God Voice, you will hear it often.

How do you differentiate your God Voice from ego?

Try this. . .start playing a negative movie of yourself in your mind. Got it? Now feel the energy. Where does that negative "ego" talk center in your body? That is EGO (Edging God Out.)

Now, play a good tape in your mind of something you excelled at, a time when you listened to your "gut" instinct, a time when you KNEW you were right on target about something. That gut instinct is your God Voice.

Where do you feel that energy in your body? It will be different for everybody. I feel my ego talking to me down the center of my body. My God Voice comes into my right ear.

Now, when you can differentiate between the two and when you ask for guidance but feel your ego respond--Thank your ego and wait to hear the answer where your God Voice talks to you.

Reference: This excerpt of the “I Love Me” exercise is a modified version of an exercise created by Louise Hay and taken from the website of Dr. Denice Moffat, at http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/.
Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Moffat is a Certified Traditional Naturopath, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, EMT, medical intuitive, and Reiki Master. Visit her on the web at http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/

Here's what Dr. Moffat has to say about juice fasting.

Juicy Diary-Day 22

(Today's Juices & Supplements)

32 oz water+3 MSM caps+2 oz lemon juice+cascara sagrada+B12

8 oz water/psyllium/benonite shake

32 oz water

64 oz green juice (kale, celery,cucumber, romaine, dandelion greens, rainbow chard, zucchini, carrots, green bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, onion)

32 oz water

64 oz apple/orange/raspberry

Total Juice = 128 oz (1.0 gallons)

Total Water = 104 oz (0.81 gallons)

------------------------------------

Sleep & dreams: 9 hrs disrupted. No dream recall.

Exercise: Nope. No walk today. Poochie spent the morning outside watching us clean our rain gutters.

Sauna: Nope

Energy: I had pretty low energy to start out with this morning, but found it increasing as the day progressed. I woke up with a grumpy tummy, which I cured straight away with an enema.

Comments: I feel like I'm in a bit of a funk today. Intuitively, I think I'm starting to pass back through some of the depression I was feeling before starting this feast. I still feel like on some levels, the detox hasn't really kicked in yet. Although I will say that my tongue is sporting a nice white stripe down the middle.

For the past few days, I've been drinking the bulk of my juice in 2 sittings. I've still been swilling and "chewing" my juice, so I haven't experienced any excess bloating or gas. It takes me about 20-30 minutes to drink a half gallon each time. Of course, then I pee for hours. I don't like the idea of sipping juice all day. I'm trying to make each sitting feel like more of a meal, rather than a drinkable snack I walk around with all day.