Juice Feast-Day 62

The Juicy *Chills*
I can't seem to get rid of them. We're having our warmest week of the summer so far, and I'm still wearing wool socks, a sweat-shirt, and flannel lined running pants to bed, and a fleece jacket around the house during the day. I shiver to think what it would be like to attempt a juice feast in northern Minnesota in the middle of January. IF I could afford the cost of buying 15 lbs of organic produce everday that time of year (ouch), I would probably have to set up camp in the sauna for the duration of the feast. I suppose I could always run an extension chord in there to power up the Green Star.









Nail Trim #2

Okay. For the record. What I'm about to do is remarkable-at least to me. I have to trim my fingernails and toenails AGAIN. That's the second time in 62 days. With the exception of two occasions in my life ( or lapses in judgement) when I had acrylics put on, I have NEVER had long finger nails. Heck, I've barely ever had short finger nails. Not only are they long ( a respectable 1 cm over the ends of my finger tips) but they are truly "tough as nails." Here's why...

Cucumbers

The combination of elements in cucumber juice plays a big role in the maintenance of healthy teeth, nails and hair. I juice AT LEAST one whole cucumber in my green juice everyday, and sometimes (like today) I juice two. I didn't set out to get healthy teeth, nails, and hair (btw: my hair and teeth have never looked better either), the cukes simply tend to be cheap this time of year and the are so high in water content that they give up a lot of juice for the money. That said, I think the REAL secret to my nail success is:

Green/Red Bell Peppers

Green pepper juice contains a lot of silicon which is necessary for nails and hair. I'm a pepper freak. I add all kinds of assorted hot peppers to my green juice everyday (it masks the bitter taste of the greens), and I ALWAYS juice at least 1 green or red bell pepper, too. Why? Because I read in one of my juicing books that bell peppers are the #1 most nutrient dense food you can juice. (Caution: As members of the night-shade family, they can aggravate arthritis in some individuals.)

Not only are my nails strong, the little suckers are sharp, too! So in an effort to avoid causing serious injury to myself, my husband, and the dog while sleeping, I finally (at age 39) had to go to the drugstore today and purchase my very first emery board (no joke). Long nails sure are pretty, but I'm finding that they are a real pain in the *ss when it comes to typing, holding a pencil, playing the piano, or picking small objects up off the floor.

My Sun Shower

According to juice feasting protocol, one should try to get in at least 10 minutes of sun each day. Ideally, one would do this buck naked during the early morning hours after sunrise (It's common practice in India, look it up). This is a lovely idea when weather (and a privacy fence) permits, but certainly not always possible.

Today was my first real sun bath of the summer, and I felt like my body was starving for it. I dialed up some Native American flute music on my Ipod and sprawled out on a beach towel in the backyard. It was three hours of radiant bliss. I got a little pink in places, but I didn't burn nearly as much as I would have expected for my first "fully exposed" (shorts and tank top) afternoon in the mid-summer sun. Like the heat lover I am, I followed my sun shower with 15 minutes in the sauna and a smokin' hot shower *grins*
Juicy Diary-Day 62

(today's juices and supplements)

32 oz water

12 oz rooibos tea

32 oz water

4 oz water + chanca peidra

68 oz green juice (kale, spinach, red lettuce, dandelion greens, cilantro, rainbow chard, celery, cucumbers, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, carrots, assorted hot peppers, red onion, radish, garlic, cayenne pepper, spirulina) + MSM + parastroy + b12.

68 oz watermelon/strawberry/blueberry/raspberry + parastroy

Total Juice = 136 oz (1.1 gallons)

Total Water = 80 oz (0.63 gallons)

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Sleep & Dreams: Well, I was in bed for approximately 8 hrs, but how much sleep I got is hard to say. It seems that EVERYONE in our neighborhood is getting a new roof put on this month-everyone but our next door neighbor...who is currently building a new garage! All projects seem to start at 8 am sharp, which is in complete conflict for those of us on a night schedule. Oh well, while picking up my first ever emery board at the drugstore, I also grabbed a 10-pack of ear plugs. Problem solved :) No dream recall.

Exercise: Nope

Sauna: 15 minutes (steamy!)

Energy and mood: My mood has been great, my energy a bit low today. A lack of sleep I suspect.

Comments: My apple/plum/grape juice from yesterday worked its magic today. I had two lovely bowel movements-one after each juice. I have a wedding tomorrow. Thankfully it's in town, so I can swing by home for juice between the ceremony and reception/dance. It's probably going to go late, so I'll post a recap of day 63 with my post on day 64. I'm looking forward to the wedding. I love LOVE! Maybe I'll even dance off another pound or two this week...