Fruits and Veggies F(e)ast Day 4

hippiemom's citrus and cinnamon elixir 

Day 4

still going, but really wanting something dry and crunchy!

• yogi's healthy fasting tea
• green smoothie: spring mix, braeburn apple, banana, blueberries, lemon
• banana
• blueberries
• veggies with mashed avocada
• hippiemom's citrus and cinnamon elixir
• smoothie: braeburn apple, banana, celery, fresh squeezed oj, cinnamon = YUM!
• more blueberries
• more veggies with mashed avocado

~*~

mrs. bigglesworth likes to come out with me while i take photos of our treats. here's our old lady-baby chillin' on the step, observing the white mess that has temporarily ruined her playground.

 

  

"outta the way, it's frikkin freezin' out here!"

 

Fruits and Veggies F(e)ast Day 3

when john and i were planning the f(e)ast, we agreed that it would be best to keep ourselves busy so we wouldn't think about food too much. this weekend we thought we'd take trips to the art museum, barnes and noble, and to spend time with our nieces and nephews...

...then the snow came. 

2 feet again! second time this winter! but this time it left pretty skies for us to enjoy while we shoveled our way out.

 

 

there's a lot of time to think about food when you're snowed in and watching movies. i wanted popcorn, raw cheez-its, philly soft pretzels, garlic bread, and pizza (of course). but i wasn't fantasizing about cheese pizza - i was thinking of tomato pies and raw pizza, which is a big step in the right direction for me! =)

i've also been craving oh my this is tuna and nori snacks (can't wait to make both!), so i munched on a few raw nori sheets throughout day 3.

Day 3

• yogi's healthy fasting tea
• smoothie: banana, braeburn apple, kale, goji berries, lemon
• veggies with mashed avocado
• juice: beet, celery, kale, carrot, blueberries, lemon, ginger
• decaf green tea
• raw nori sheet
• salad: spring mix, avocado, tomato, cucumber
• mango
• orange
• salad wrapped in a nori sheet
• blueberries

 

we've been making juice using the ol' hamilton beach blender and a nut milk bag. see, you don't need a fancy juicer or $400 blender to eat raw!

  

(but this doesn't mean i wouldn't like a blendtec or vitamix... i'm just sayin' =)

Fruits and Veggies F(e)ast Day 1 and 2

 

the first green smoothie of the f(e)ast. cheers!

john and i started our f(e)ast thursday morning as planned. so far so good! tuesday, i felt like i was coming down with something but felt ok after my evening yoga class. i've been a bit sniffly at times and woke up this morning with a slightly sore throat, but all is fine for now.

Day 1

• warm lemon water
• smoothie: banana, braeburn apple, kale, lemon
• handful of blueberries
• peppermint tea
• salad: field mix with tomato, cucumber, avocado, and mushroom
• lots of water

Day 2

•  yogi's healthy fasting tea
• green smoothie: banana, braeburn apple, kale, blueberries, lemon
• juice: beet, celery, carrot, kale, golden delicious apple, lemon
• handful of blueberries
• warm miso soup with chopped veggies and ginger
• banana
• fruit smoothie: banana, apple, frozen blackberries
• chamomile tea  

i wasn't too impressed with whole foods' selection of organic produce. i guess it's to be expected for february in the northeast. maybe we'll wait for summer to start another f(e)ast!

they did, however, have a great selection of herbal teas. i chose yogi's healthy fasting tea and really enjoyed it. it has an interesting, pleasant flavor and i like that it contains dandelion to aid the liver in eliminating toxins.

how timely is this?! yesterday, i read in my grandmother's first magazine that "the potent plant compounds [in dandelion tea] can trigger a 240 percent increase in the liver's output of glutathione S-transferase and other enzymes that are critical to destroying and disposing of toxins."

also, " a warm bath opens pores and dilates skins' blood vessels to accelerate toxin release. to enhance the benefit, sprinkle in 2 cups of epsom salts. british researchers found that the salts' stores of magnesium heighten enzymatic activity in the liver's phase 1 detoxification pathway, where energy-sapping toxins are chemically dismantled."

...so i squished my 5'9" self into our small bathtub and took a nice, hot epsom salts bath. ahhhhhh. =)

Fruits and Veggies F(e)ast prep

(welcome mary, and thanks for following! =)

after much thought and deliberation, john and i have decided to switch from a green smoothie fast to a Fruits and Veggies F(e)ast, starting thursday. as it is our first time f(e)asting, i feel its best to open the challenge up to all fruits and veggies, in all shapes and forms.

my intentions for this f(e)ast are to give my body a rest from the processed foods i've been consuming and to gain control of my cravings for dairy and fried foods. i am trusting this experience will help align me with the high raw, animal-friendly lifestyle i'd like to lead.

good news for me, john has already gotten a hang of smoothie-making. look how nice and neat he is with his smoothie prep!

going with the flow

hello friends, and welcome, julia and nelly!  i appreciate your visits. =)

first off, let me say that i loved everyone's snack ideas from my last post! i'm happy to report my cravings have led me away from milk chocolate snacks... but are now guiding me towards fried potatoes! yikes! i am also craving lots of greens and fruit, so i've decided to feed that craving and take it to the next level with a green smoothie fast (edit: a green smoothie FEAST! =).

when i first became serious about transitioning to an animal-friendly lifestyle, i heard of the master cleanse (aka lemonade diet). many testified that the cleanse helped align their taste buds to animal-friendly raw foods, which eliminated cravings for toxic treats.

i thought of trying the lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper cleanse, but never felt fully compelled to give it a go. i find i'm sensitive to cayenne pepper in the urinary region. many health sources are now making the claim that maple syrup as well as agave nectar may not be as healthy as i thought =(. "Lick the Sugar Habit" author Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. explains that, “maple syrup and other sugars literally make the white blood cells go dormant or sleepy [which] opens the door to infectious and degenerative diseases.” ouch.

i would love to do a juice fast (as i hear such wonderful things about them), but i don't own a juicer. yes, i can blend the veggies and strain them through a nut bag, but i know myself all too well and doubt that will keep up more than 2 days.=)

after reading kimberly snyder's post, the green smoothie vs. the master cleanse, i decided to create a fast plan to accommodate our lifestyle.

it feels right to start the fast 7 days before my 29th birthday, to begin my 30th year on a healthy note. we've been prepping by having a green smoothie every day, eating lots of raw food, and cutting back on our vices.

goodies from our shopping trip a few days ago to aid in our fasting prep

my idea to fast was affirmed when i was greeted online tonight by three posts in a row on the same topic! my friends hippiemom and heathy are fasting, and the lovely debbie from vegan family style posted a review for Robyn Openshaw's "The Green Smoothie Diet." the stars are aligned, my friends! =)

this fast will be a challenge, as i don't think i've gone a few waking hours without "food"! john and i are doing it together, so that will help tremendously. i'm still working out the details, but i think i'd like to have 1-2 green smoothies per day and 1-2 glasses of juice, depending on how we feel. i'd also like to incorporate teas, lemon water and some type of flush. if all goes to plan we will begin thursday, february 4th. of course i will document my experiences - the good, the bad, and the ugly! =)

advice and tips from those who have done any type of fast, cleanse, or flush will be greatly appreciated!

snack attack

i battle several snack attacks throughout the day.

my prescription?

animal-friendly treats, of course =).

when my pantry is stocked, a typical day could unfold like this: 

spelt cakes with sunflower pesto and cashew cheese may start the day...

which then might lead to raw pizza with sprouts...

which may be washed down by a green smoothie with hemp seeds...

 

(i find banana, apple, kale, and lemon make a sweet skittles-tasting smoothie!)

while another peak in the pantry might fold into nori-sheet munchin'..

i chomp on them whole, just like that!

all could possibly be followed by a sweet finale to the snack fest...

organic oranges

most of the time my animal-friendly snacks do the trick, but every now and then i eat *whispering* a twix bar! i know, aren't i bad?! :P although delicious in the moment, i feel nauseous 15 minutes after i eat them. i didn't pay much attention to milk chocolate until i decided to give up the animal products. go figure!

i thinks its just a phase, and i'm sure it will pass. i also received cacao powder with my sirova order today, so i'll soon be able to get that chocolate craving in check! =)

what are your favorite "good" snacks/"bad" snacks?

coconutty sweets

ahhh, this picture's got me thinking of summer. john and i have a lot of fun thinking of names for our creations, and we both agreed tropical bliss-ard is fitting for this sweet, frosty beverage we enjoyed on a cold, january night! (i know the umbrella is a bit much, but i couldn't resist! =)

tropical bliss-ard

3 C. tropical fruit, chopped and frozen (i used 2 bananas and one mango)
1/2 C. coconut meat
1/2 C. coconut water

add a handful of ice cubes and blend all ingredients until smooth. yields about two 12 oz. glasses. tastes great topped with granola or shredded coconut!

~*~

these coconut kale chips are my new favorite snack. so sweet and crunchy! 

coconut kale chips

a bunch of kale

1 Tbsp agave nectar

1 Tbsp coconut oil

shredded coconut (optional)

few pinches of salt, to taste

trim off the tough stems and break kale into chip-size pieces. place in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with agave and coconut oil. (you may need more or less than 1 tbsp of each, depending on how much kale you're working with.) massage kale a few minutes, making sure each piece is saturated. if desired, add shredded coconut. allow to marinate (i marinate my kale overnight in the fridge, but a half hour or so should do). spread kale in a single layer on teflex sheet and dehydrate at 115° until dry and crispy.

~*~

have a sweet weekend!!!

=)