break [the] fast

so the day before yesterday - i finally broke the juice fast. my mom had bought me a papaya and i had been letting it ripen the last few days of the fast so it could be the first delicious piece of solid food i put in my mouth on saturday.

i look kinda crazy... but hey, i go nuts for papaya

it was an other-wordly experience. i transcended! i could hardly even control the ecstasy that was food-tasting. if you ever lose your passion for eating, or think everything tastes bland - just drink juice for a week. the rest of the day i had a few pieces of fruit and then an AMAZING smoothie at gorilla food. remember how i was super stoked to eat a salad for the first thing? nah. i don't think i could've handled that much on saturday, plus i was only craving fruit, to be honest.

later in the day my muscles were getting really sore, especially in my legs. i also had a head ache. i suppose it was the final steps of my detox. i slept really well saturday night.

yesterday i ate several fruits most of the day. it was canada day! so my friend came over and we went downtown to celebrate. super fun ;) when we got home we made a raw feast of creamy pasta with mushrooms, basil and tomatoes along with an avocado spinach soup, and durian pudding for dessert! i will post all the delicious recipes in the days to follow :) don't ya worry. here's some pics to tempt you:

i hope you all had a great weekend; i sure did. namaste!

10 day juice fast: day 10

day 10 is here! and almost done! it's really strange to think i won't be only consuming juice tomorrow... i will be having solid food. crazy. a part of me is a little scared to go back to food. i know i'll have no regrets once i eat but i've gotten used to juice, and i love what the fast has done for me. at the same time, tomorrow is like christmas!

i spent my final day of fasting having a great time with amber. we drove downtown and got E3 Live shots at Buddha-Full. i won't lie... i prefer wheat grass. but then i LOVE wheat grass juice. i know some people think it's too strong but personally i think it's delicious and sweet on it's own! the E3 Live however was pretty bitter. we had orange and lemon slices for chase. 

what do you think of E3 Live shots? compared to wheat grass?

next we stopped at sejuiced and got... you guessed it. juice. amber is having a raw day :) i got the "body and soul" juice and she got something with "energy" in the name. can't go wrong there.

then we went to kits (hippie central: my home land) and visited banyen books. I LOVE THIS PLACE! my mom had been telling me it was my kind of store and that i needed to go for awhile now, but i didn't have a chance until today. oh boy. heaven. they had a book on tiny houses, a whole shelf dedicated to juicing, fasting and raw food (and two others for vegan, whole foods and vegetarian diets), and everywhere you looked was something to do with harmony, om, buddha, chimes, meditation music, and generally just beautiful things.

finally we walked down to the beach and sat on opposite ends. i was able to meditate and reflect on the past 10 days, as well as anticipate the near future and my feelings about both strands of time. exactly what i needed. after that i fell into a om-like state and have stayed that way since. i will sleep very well tonight i think, and wake up tomorrow to face a day of eating!

oh and i do want to mention, tonight i had some nut milk. this is my juice fast and i'll do it the way i want to, tonight i felt nut milk would hit the spot. some people might be stricter and consume nothing but juice for 10 days (which is essentially what i did, of course), but i'm totally fine with eating a strawberry here and there, and having nut milk on the last days. my body is thrilled either way ;)

i got an idea from this glass of milk actually... i'm gonna make a cashew banana chocolate milkshake tomorrow ;) stay tuned, my darlings! i want to thank you all for the support and positive energy you gave me during these past 10 days.

10 day juice fast: day 9

SO CLOSE! i have the rest of today, and tomorrow... then i fill my body with the raw food it's been craving the last few days. i'm so excited to jump back into raw food and the entire lifestyle. it's time for this juice fast to END!

don't get me wrong. i haven't begun to hate juice or fasting or anything. i still love and respect it as much as i did on day 1. but i want to EAT! today i was writing down a bunch of recipes i can't wait to make after saturday. they are all raw versions (besides the toasted rice) and include:

- zucchini pasta with creamy alfredo and cauliflower "parmesan" crumble
- tomato and pine nut lasagna with marinated mushrooms, eggplant and herbs
- veggie pizza with sun dried tomato and garlic sauce, marinated peppers and pineapple
- spinach avocado soup with garlic, onion and tomatoes
- sushi rolls of mango, cucumber and avocado with toasted brown rice and sweet/sour tahini dipping sauce
- yam burgers with sunflower seeds and all the fixins, along with jicama fries and chipotle dip
- durian ice cream and cacao nibs, spiced with cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg
- chocolate discs layered with spiced bananas, dried figs, and organic berries

you better be thinking "HECK YES!" i sure am. 

my passion for life and raw foods has been REBORN!

today i went out and bought frozen durian meat for the pudding, and we got avocados a couple days ago so they will be ripe by saturday. (because first things first: i want salad, and salad ain't complete without avocado.) we also bought some castor, jojoba and avocado oil because from now on i will be using a mix of them for my facial cleanser. check this out. i love this site. we went to the library (best place evaaa!) too and i finally got mad cowboy. i've been meaning to read this book for a long time but i've been distracted by... life? and other excellent novels. i know it will seem a bit dated, but i also know it'll make me really proud to be vegan - and get me re-inspired to convert others!

yes... i used the word "convert". veganism is totally a religion, folks.
seriously though, i do worship my kale.

my mom made a big pitcher of juice this morning before we went grocery shopping so i drank the one recipe all day. it was yummarific and made of:

2 oranges
2 apples
1 grapfruit
2 mini cukes
1 1/2 cups grapes
huge chunk ginger
1/2 pineapple
1 cup cantelope
1/2 large bell pepper
 

my energy levels are alright today, better than in the middle there. yikes. i must admit, i've snuck in a few strawberries. my logic is that i'm juicing them... in my mouth. don't argue with it. this saturday i will back in my own bed (i've been house sitting all week), eating food again, and seeing special people in my life that i haven't seen for weeks! i am very excited, and at the same time i am keeping the importance of these last 2 days of juice fasting in my mind and soul.

talk to you all tomorrow! much love. namaste.

oh and p.s. - i can't take all the credit for those recipe ideas. i always make up my own but here's a few that got me creating: durian pudding, fettucine alfredo, and jicama fries.

10 day juice fast: day 6, 7 & 8

sorry guys, i am house sitting this week and didn't manage to get to my lap top for a few days to write so here's day 6, 7 and 8.

DAY 6

i made the most delicious juice ever! it was so good i did the exact same recipe for my dinner juice. it was made of:

3 carrots
3 celery sticks
1 apple
1 orange
huge chunk ginger
2-3 pineapple slices

i also made a large glass of delicious "spa water". all i did was put in some lemon and cherries. there's endless combinations. i want to try lavender and lemon, for example. here's a bunch of recipes.

today i was feelin' pretty tired. just out of energy. i couldn't run or go up a set of stairs without losing my breath and feeling slightly light-headed. looks like it's perfect timing for this kind of detox because my juice fast ends in 3 days! i am SO EXCITED to eat. all i want is raw food. raw salad, sushi, pasta, soup, smoothies. i also can't wait to eat a banana with some kind of nut butter. and just like... a date. i know it's all gonna taste amazing because my taste buds have been recharged and sensitized.

DAY 7

my juices today were watermelon-themed :) mmm, so refreshing.

juice #1:
2 cups watermelon
1 orange
chunk of ginger
1/2 cucumber
3 sticks of celery
1 cup grapes
1 cup strawberries

 look - it's glowing!

juice #2: sorry i didn't take any pics - i slurped it up in the backyard and forgot my camera.
1 cup watermelon
1 grapefruit
1 orange
chunk of ginger
1 cup strawbrries
3 carrots

i'm really looking forward to getting back to solid food and making delicious raw recipes for me and my loved ones. this is the kind of excitement i experienced when i first got into raw food (almost 2 years ago!) but to be honest - i had lost this kind of passion last year.

don't get me wrong, i never stopped loving raw food and the philosophy behind behind the lifestyle. but i gradually let myself become disconnected from that initial enthusiasm. and i was really depressed that i couldn't reconnect with it. slowly i lost my connection when i meditated, and eventually i couldn't find much passion in anything - even though i understood how much i continued to love the people and events happening around me.

this is why i wanted to challenge myself through a juice fast, then a 21 day water fast. i was hoping to regain that original passion and reconnect with what i know is important to me - my soul and it's relationship with the universe! yes, that includes food. food sustains us.

here's the good news. initially i was just incorporating this juice fast as a prequel to the mega water fast, and because i wanted to participate in "cleanse america" (even though i'm in canada); but through these past 7 days - and i'm sure these last 3 - i have already gained from the juice fast what i was hoping to gain from the water fast! plus... mom and dad still aren't very keen on me not eating for 3 weeks. understandable.
-
i have decided to conquer the water fast at a later date. i will certainly be doing it at some point. but it doesn't need to be - and i don't feel it should be - right now.

in these last 3 days i plan to do a lot of resting and meditating, finalizing my thoughts and cementing my renewed excitement and refreshed passion for life. i am so happy to be here, surrounded by my family and friends, living in a beautiful home and city, able to make my dreams come true, and having the best food in the world every day! well... for the next 3 days, it'll be juice. i am not ashamed to say that i can't freaking wait to eat salad. looooooooooooord.

further reading: here's the "diary" of Skinny Bitch co-author Rory Freedman when she did a 7 day juice fast. i love how honest she is.

DAY 8

alright. day 8! i have renewed love for this juice fast. food can wait; the time will pass. it's a gorgeous, sunny day and i intend to take advantage of it. i think i'll do a facial steam with rose water then lay in the yard. i'm seeing some friends later and i'm excited to talk and spend time with them. i've been getting so many amazing emails and comments from my readers! I LOVE YOU ALL! the fact that i can help change people's lives means so much to me, and it's the main reason i'm here.

you guys inspire me. you're changing my life!

my first juice today was delicious and made of: 

4 carrots

3 celery sticks

huge chunk of ginger

1 apple

1 orange

1 tomato

1 bell pepper

1 kiwi

i think it looks like a work of art. i'm actually gonna get some of these photos printed really big on a canvas because i like them so much. literally, photos full of life! i'll be making the same juice for dinner. i will probably have some herbal tea with lemon later as well.

- 

i need to share this with you: crunchy betty. the link i give is for cleaning your face but she has excellent posts about how to naturally keep your hair, skin and body beautiful, vibrant and glowing. she's also hilarious.  

10 day juice fast: day 5

so far i'm feeling alright today. i slept for like 12 hours last night without waking up... i arose at 2 PM and couldn't believe the time. i'm house and dog sitting for friends this week, beginning today, so i promptly ran over there and walked the puppies.

actually, i should say ran.

i started feeling pretty light-headed and knew i needed to make some juice fast. it was made of:

2 slices pinapple
chunk of ginger
4 carrots
1 apple
1 orange
1 grapefruit
huge handful of kale
handful of strawberries
1 kiwi

yummmmm. i needed sugar. 

then i did some stuff on the computer and off i went to get groceries. i ran out of cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes and celery the second day of the juice fast, so it was nice to finally buy some. i think i'll make some more juice soon because i'm feeling pretty tired. i walked to the grocery store as well. i probably just haven't gotten enough calories today.

*passing of time* i just had my juice for dinner and i still feel pretty tired. i thought maybe it was just because my blood sugar was low or something but i didn't even want to drink or eat anything. i left most of juice in the fridge. maybe i'll drink it later. i think i'm gonna watch some movies tonight then go to bed early. maybe this is finally some signs of detox?

anyway - my second juice was:

1 cup of strawberries
1 kiwi
3 sticks celery
1 grapefruit
1 orange
1/2 field cucumber
1 tomato
chunk ginger
1 apple

here's a good post about the benefits of juice fasting that i think is fairly accurate, intuitive and thorough.

and this is a PDF file that i also think is informative, about the same topic.

finally this is a review-type post about a new raw food book called "raw and beyond" by Victoria Boutenko, Elaina Love, and Chad Sarno (all well known and respected raw food proponents). the thing that is different about this book is that it talks about why an 80% raw diet is ideal, instead of a 100% raw food diet. the authors all used to praise and follow a totally raw diet, but now they have come to have a new opinion. i might have to agree.

when you first go raw, you feel amazing and might never want to eat cooked food again. you begin to strive to reach and keep that 100%. but as many of us have learned - 100% might not be best. i suggest reading the book to learn more. i'm going to as soon as it hits my library. having said all that - a mainly raw diet, with some lightly cooked whole plant foods is pretty much fool-proof for everyone.

10 day juice fast: day 4

another great day. it sounds crazy but i'm almost wishing i get some detox symptoms soon! where's all that junk being stored??? i want it OUT. anyways - i am noticing i don't need as much sleep. i can't fall asleep before around 3 AM, yet i'm up and active by 11 AM. usually i need like 12 hours of sleep to function because, well...

i'm secretly a hibernating bear hybridized with a lazy cat.

+

so today i woke up at 11 and was PLANNING on doing some things around my room and the house before going to downtown to enjoy the city, buy some juice/groceries, give out sandwiches to the hungry, and end up staying over at my friend's house. my plan did not work out. my best friend (who moved to halifax a few years ago) called so we talked for 2 hours. then it started raining really hard which i LOVE - but not for walking around downtown. therefore i am staying in tonight and watching a movie with the family.

my first juice of the day was made of:

3 carrots
huge handful kale
1 kiwi
2 slices pineapple
handful of basil leaves
chunk of ginger
1 orange
1 apple
3 bell peppers

YUUUUUUM. that is all.

it was saturday so that means farmers market! but my mother doesn't like to wake me and she left when i was sleeping. i'll go next week. she bought cherries, carrots, strawberries, and a few other wonderful, organic plants. i REALLY need to buy some cukes, tomatoes, celery and bell peppers though. i'm all out.

look at the pretty layers from when i took off the lid of my juicer :) 

my dinner juice was made of:

1 grapfruit
1 orange
1 kiwi
1 huge handful kale
1/2 lemon
chunk of ginger
5 carrots
2 slices pinapple
handful of strawberries - OMG this makes it 

today i wanted to connect with the juicing world via the internet (otherwise i'm on my own for this fast) and i happened across "linda's blog". i like the way she explains why she juice fasts:

"We all will defrag our hard drives. We’ll all clean out our bags and purses and wallets. We’ll all clean out our cars when they are feeling too full of stuff. Same for closets and cupboards. Well, this is the same thing. Juice fasts have a way of cleaning out what isn’t needed - there’s usually some taking stock, some rest, some more energy to put towards sweating, etc." - Linda's Blog 

10 day juice fast: day 3

seriously... where are all of the terrible detox symptoms? today was another great day. i feel on top of the world. i've noticed all my senses are heightened. my emotions are also very strong, but easy to control. i feel quite light, as if i'm floating sometimes. i can feel every cell in my body and it's a magical experience.

last night i suddenly became very tired around 10 PM. i could hardly keep my eyes open. but after watching a movie with my friend i gained all the energy back! i wanted to run around and do everything at once. i couldn't sleep until 5 AM. i woke up at 11 AM or so, which is early for me. as i'm typing this - i'm realizing that's only 6 hours of sleep; yet i feel great!

my parents are being really understanding with this (PHEW!) and my mom bought me a bunch of fruit yesterday for the coming week of juice fasting. i cut up some pineapple this morning :) i need to get some more cucumbers, carrots, and celery though...

look at this beautiful juice! it is a work of art. it was made of:

handful baby heirloom tomatoes
2 carrots
2 stick celery
1 orange
1 apple
chunk of ginger
2 slices pineapple
2 bell peppers
1 kiwi
huge handful kale

YUM! looking at these photos is making me want more... maybe later. 

along with heightened senses, i am really appreciating music these past 3 days. i love my music and am so grateful i have the collection i do, but for a week or so leading up to the fast i was beginning to tire of listening. now...

forget it!

i am loving every single song that comes on, and i'm listening to it in a whole new way. so wonderful. i'm really in the best mood right now, and have been since i started fasting. i feel elated. 

my friend gave me this CD of radiohead remixes and it's so impressive. you probably won't like it - it's a bit weird - but give it a shot. i was listening to this song at the bus stop the other day and dancing (literally like no one is watching, i just don't care) when a man approached me and asked if i was aware i looked crazy. i said yes and thank you.

i had tons of positive energy today so i went downtown to buy a dress for my friend. on the way back it started raining and i soaked it up :) i stood on the street holding my arms out, staring at the sky. lovely! i could feel every drop hitting my skin and i was totally connected with the clouds.

for my second juice i used a papaya mom bought for me. the juice was made of:

1 orange
chunk of ginger
handful of baby heirloom tomotoes
2 slices pinapple
1 bell pepper
1 kiwi
huge handful lettuce
1 papaya
1 lime

i added some lime to the juice because whenever i eat papaya i put on lime juice. they're best friends and should always be together. 

i had a terrific bath today as well. i posted a link on facebook but if you didn't see it, no worries. all you need to know is to put olive in your next bath! it makes your skin sooooo soft. i added some lavender oil too, of course. 

tonight i'll be taking it easy. see you all tomorrow! love.

10 day juice fast: day 2

 TODAY I FEEL AMAZING!

i'm waiting for the crappy feelings of detox to set in, i guess that'll be tomorrow...? but these first two days have been fantastic. today is even better than yesterday! i feel like i'm on the best psychedelic drugs. i had the trippiest dreams last night as well. 

it's been sunny both days, and i wake up to the sun beams breaking through my window and falling on me and my cat (who likes to snuggle up right on my face). today i woke up pretty hungry, so i prepared my veggies and fruit for juicing, took a shower, juiced them, then went right outside to dry off in the sunshine and enjoy my elixir. it was made of:

2 carrots
2 sticks celery
1/2 cucumber
1 orange
1 apple
2 tomatoes
chunk of ginger
huge handful kale
1 bell pepper

if that glass of juice isn't beautiful - i don't know what is. look at my kale!!! finally it has grown. dinosaur kale might be my favourite food. seriously. check out how amazing it is.

know what else is amazing? bobby mcferrin's self titled album from 1982. 

as far as my body goes - like i said, i feel great. i have been quite warm today though. a lot of perspiration. i'm making sure to drink tons of water and get plenty of sleep. i'm also spending time outdoors and walking around. in the next few days i'll be getting into meditating, painting and reading. can't wait!

the contrast of bright colours in my juice matched my dress :) i did some dishes, then went to tutor a student. i walked all the way home like i usually do and felt totally fine, it's about 5 kilometers. in fact, i have more energy today than normal.

i made my second juice for dinner around 6 PM. it was made of:

1/2 cucumber
huge handful kale
1 orange
1 apple
1 tomato
1 bell pepper
3 carrots
4 sticks celery
chunk of ginger
& love!

at this point i'm loving every moment of this fast and am really excited for the next eight days. we'll see if that opinion changes... i'm also keeping in mind that after this i am going to be doing my 21 water fast. so if i ever feel deprived with just the juice (hasn't happened so far though) i'll just remember that in a week i won't be able to have anything! so it makes juice fasting seem like a piece of cake. raw vegan cake.

10 day juice fast: day 1

today has been great so far. last night i had three amazing friends show up at my door unexpectedly, so we had a party. what does a party mean? it means the lost boys, pho noodle soup, animal collective, and lots of laughing.

so much laughing we kept my dad up, actually. then today i slept forever - that means until 2 in the afternoon. you know i'm really a cat. after my deep slumber i took a shower and laid out in the backyard to dry off in the sunshine. (side note: i've been listening to grimes all day - she's so good, perfect background music for today.)

i did some stuff around the house and was finally starting to get hungry so i made my first juice of the fast! it was made of:

3 carrots
4 sticks celery
handful strawberries
1 orange
1 kiwi
1 bell pepper
1 apple

 

it. was. amazing. 

i am actually more of a smoothie-lover myself (addicted to green smoothies for life. what's up, kale.) but all it took was one glass of fresh juice to get me right back into juicing! for a period i made veggie juice every morning but i got tired of it. i love fiber and when you juice - you take out the fiber. however, sans fiber has it's own benefits: you get lightning-fast absorption. i'm talkin' like 15 minutes, people.

BAM - it's in your blood. 

 
in any case, juice fasting has probably saved lives. ann wigmore really popularized juicing and especially wheatgrass juice in the 60's. she showed people juice fasting and raw food could cure disease and rejuvenate the chronically ill. you go, girl.

there's even a documentary about one man who pretty much saved his own life with a juice fast. he went from being "fat, sick and nearly dead" to at the peak of his fitness. here's the link. this doc is so inspiring!!! i loved it. through this juice fast and my 21-day water fast, i also plan to do a lot of reading, writing, painting, yoga and meditation.

time to get back to who i am!

look what i found today! the summer's first strawberry! oh my goodness. i gobbled the little fellow up and promptly ascended into heaven. please, grow your own food if you can - it will be the most luscious, flavourful food you will ever eat.

for dinner, i had a similar juice of carrots, celery, an apple, an orange, strawberries and a bell pepper. but i also added a tomato and a chunk of ginger. it was actually glowing, i think. i feel on top of the world right now! we'll see how tomorrow goes.