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 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.

raw edible cosmetics & body care recipes

If you wouldn't put it on your skin... why are you putting in your body? If you wouldn't eat it, why are you putting it on your skin?

Yet another thing on the endless list of things I love about being raw; your body care is the same as what you eat. When you think about it for one moment, it shouldn't be any other way.When you're raw, you don't have to use many skin, hair or makeup products because your body is glowing and gorgeous without globs of chemicals on it already!

Plus, what you DO use for your hair, skin, nails and face can be the same stuff you eat everyday! I'm talking about bananas, papayas, avocados, oats, coconut, almonds, and others. We all know these are common extracts used to scent chemical shampoos, lotions, cleansers, etc. So instead of buying "Luscious Cocoa and Oatmeal Body Creme", or "Hydrating Mango Shampoo"... Let's just buy some raw organic COCOA, OATS and MANGOES! 

I know. crazy thinking, huh?

I made myself a banana/oat mask the other day actually... it made my skin glow and tasted SO GOOD. I had a bunch left over so I ate it while the mask hardened on my face. He he.

Do you eat your body lotion/skin cleanser? Probably not... So then why do you put in all over skin if you don't want it IN your skin/body? Logic, dear friends. 

Moisturizer: I use raw virgin coconut oil, with some essential oils added. It is full of wonderful fats to keep my face and skin healthy, moisturized and glowing. I also use it on my hair sometimes for the same reason.

Shampoo: I make my own shampoo using Castile soap, essential oils and herbs that are good for blondes. I recommend Dr. Bronner's for soap. I don't wash my hair much anymore though, but I try to shower every 1 or 2 days... dirty hippie, I am.

 -

Deodorant: I tend not to need deodorant anymore... I haven't used it in a while, yet I'm always being complimented on how good I smell... When you're filling your body with nutrient-rich, vibrant foods, you smell clean, beautiful and vibrant! If you do use deodorant, use one without aluminum, I recommend a crystal salt rock. It sounds weird, but is as natural as you can get! Or if you like scents, I like Kiss My Face products.

Makeup: I don't really wear makeup anymore... Very rarely I put on mascara, but I don't feel great about it. You're beautiful as you are! I do like to use beets to colour my lips/cheeks sometimes, if I'm eating them. If you like wearing make up, there's tons on natural companies out there. Just look in your health food stores' cosmetics aisle.

Onto the fun stuff! Also check out my post about facial steams.

Banana Oat Mask: makes enough for 1-2 faces plus a snack =)

1 banana

1 Tb almond milk

1/3 cup oats 

Blend all ingredients until it reaches a good consistency to spread on your skin. Wash face with warm water, then spread mask on. Sit or lie down for 10-15 minutes or until you want to take it off. Then gently rinse your face in warm water and pat dry with a towel. I like to put some cold rose water on right after to close my pores and seal in the goodness! 

Tonight I made an avocado mask with half an avocado, and some lemon juice. It tasted sweet, tangy and creamy and was super smooth. I could feel the enzymes working! My face was pink, shiny and glowing when I rinsed it off.

Green Monster Avocado Mask: makes enough for 2 faces, plus a snack

1/2 avocado

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Wash face with warm water, then spread mask on. Sit or lie down for 10-15 minutes or until you want to take it off. Then gently rinse your face in warm water and pat dry with a towel. I like to put some cold rose water on right after to close my pores and seal in the goodness! 

Almond Exfoliator: makes enough for one

Handful almonds

1 t water or almond milk

Chop/process almonds into small pieces, but not flour-like, you want them to be able to exfoliate, remember. Add them to almond milk/water and rub vigorously on your face/skin.  Rinse off and put on some coconut oil to moisturize, or whatever you like. 

Watch out! This one is super enzyme-rich, so it burns a little. 


Papaya Seed Mask: makes enough for 3 faces

Seeds from one papaya

Oats/Almonds

Water

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Rub on face and lie down for 10 minutes You will feel the enzymes... it can burn a little but that's good. If it's too much, however, wash it off! When you are done, wash off with warm water and pat dry. Put on some coconut oil to moisturize and seal in the cleanliness.