7 Day Raw Food Rejuvenation Cleanse

As spring is approaching us and having recently removed all the mercury fillings from my mouth, I decided to embark upon a seven day raw food cleanse. If you know me or if you have read some of my previous posts, I often "flirt" with the raw food lifestyle and love to do cleanses as they are so balancing and they often give you a reality check on the importance of eating a high raw diet.

Some may be unfamiliar with a raw food diet.... 

 What is a raw or living foods diet? 

A raw or living foods diet is typically a lifestyle diet in which one eats a plant based diet consisting of foods that are not processed or heated above 118 degrees. It is said that food heated above this temperature have lost their enzymes and some of its nutritional value. Food that is not processed or heated retains its live enzymes and all the nutrients are in tact in its purest form. Food is prepared by blending, soaking, sprouting, dehydrating, freezing and chilling.  

I began my cleanse on March 1. I was able to enjoy, actually indulge in some fantastic foods that are easy to prepare. Some of the dishes are avocado soup, thai soup, thai pineapple salad, killer summer celery soup, mushroom Alfredo linguine, raw pasta with sundried tomato pesto, carrot cake and some very delicious smoothies, herbal teas, some fantastic energizing elixirs and fresh juices On days 1 and 2, I felt tired and irritable. However, on day 3 I awoke with energy and vibrancy but also with a sense of calmness and focus. This feeling remained with me throughout the duration of the cleanse. Yesterday the cleanse finished off but I don't really feel a need to start eating all sorts of cooked foods. One might think that I am dying to get my hands on something warm but I'm not. During the cleanse I discovered that I was naturally eating less because the food that I was consuming was so dense in nutrients that my body told me when it was time to shut off. Even though I have been vegetarian/vegan for some time now, I have never experienced this in the way I do with raw foods. I'm not sure if I'll ever be 100% raw, but doing these cleansing brings back those reminders to stay in the high raw zone. We often forget as we find ourselves consumed in day to day activities of busy schedules, eat and go as well as the social aspect of enjoying foods with others.  

From this cleanse, I have experienced a weight loss of 3 1/2 pounds, improved skin, reduction in skin candida (that's a whole new post), renewed energy and clarity. My weight dropped quickly the first few days and I dropped about 6 lbs. But, what I found the most interesting is that as I ate food naturally, that is in its natural state, my body confirmed for me what I thought my natural weight is. When I was heavy and began losing weight, I originally lost about 60 lbs. Because I had been overweight for most of my adult life, I had to experiment with weight and what worked best for me and my lifestyle. At my lightest weight, I was 123 lbs but I don't feel this is my natural weight. I conclude this from the way I felt, the effort it took to maintain this weight, the way I looked and my susceptibility to illness. After over 3 years of fitness that includes strength training, lots of yoga and cardiovascular training, I am still at it and enjoying it immensely. I have a lot of dense muscle. As we all know muscle weighs more than fat. I believe that if I didn't strength train, my body may naturally gravitate towards that 125-127 lb weight range but since I do train my body loves and like a magnet moves towards 135-137. Ideally, my body LOVES 137. I could not weigh myself for weeks and I will step on the scale: 137. During the cleanse, I was down to 134 and then my weight naturally stabilized and I finished the cleanse at 136.4. My body fat percentage is at around 18% which places me in an athletic category and I'm happy with that. With my lowest weight, I was at 12% which is lower than what I am comfortable with. 

All in all, I am so happy I chose to embark on this cleanse once again. Overall, I feel balanced and content. Here is some of the food I enjoyed over the past week....don't get jealous. These pics were taken with a phone so don't judge.

Fiesta Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing and Avocado Soup

Summer Salad and Killer Summer Celery Soup

Thai Pineapple Salad and Thai Soup

Mushroom Alfredo Linguine

Questions? Recipes? I'm here to help. email: thepowertodogroupfitness@hotmail.com

Here's to rejuvenation.

Namaste.

Blueberry Hemp Smoothie

I'm still on this raw food kick of mine and I am diggin' it. I'm reading Victoria Boutenko's book, "12 Steps to Raw Foods" and I find it really interesting. I'm learning to listen to my body is response to different foods. Anyhow, maybe some more on that another time because today I wanted to share an amazingly heavenly smoothie recipe that I tried from Penni Shelton's Raw Food Cleanse.

Blueberry Hemp Smoothie

2 cups water

1/2 cup hemp seeds

3 tbsp agave

8 ounce package of frozen organic blueberries

1 tsp vanilla extract or raw vanilla powder

1 frozen banana or 1 banana and 4-6 ice cubes

In a blender, blend water and hemp seeds until it forms a milky substance.

Add the remaining ingredients.

High in protein, antioxidants, omegas, potassium and it's delicious!

Food Matters- Seriously

I am a vegetarian who strives for veganism. I do struggle with the occasional piece of cheese in my diet as I live in a home full of meat and dairy eaters. I only buy organic dairy for my family so I say to myself, "Well, it is organic, right?" and I take a nibble. Within 12 hours, my skin will break out and I see the effects; sometimes my stomach hurts. I do not struggle with the temptation to eat meat as I truly feel in the depth of my mind that staying fully clear of meat is the best choice for me. At times, I also like to dabble in raw foods. Those of you who follow my blog see that I have done Penni Shelton's raw food cleanses and the results are amazing.

The other day, Netflix recommended a documentary for me called "Food Matters." This is an AMAZING movie and I HIGHLY recommended it to everyone. The movie is based on Hippocrates' philosophy, "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." When I turned on the documentary, I was VERY close to taking a dose of sinus medication...this is something I NEVER do. Seriously, I was going to turn on the show, pop a pill and watch it. However, the opening was the Hippocrates quote. I decided to just sit down. The movie spoke a lot about the drug companies, lack of nutritional education in doctors, and the importance of eating raw superfoods as well as vitamin therapy for sickness and disease. I had a cold coming on. The next day was spent nursing it with oil of oregano, vitamin c, d3, zinc and many cups of echinacea tea. Cold....Gone.

Anyhow, watching this documentary as well as hearing the story of Philip McCluskey (below), I am ready for some serious dabbling in raw foods again. Please watch his story and if you can watch "Food Matters" because guess what my friend? Food REALLY does matter. It makes a difference in your energy levels, the quality of your life, your mood and most importantly your health. The movie says it, I have said, and MANY others have said, heard it and believed it- "You are what you eat." So eat well and be well and have a beautiful day!

Creamy Raw Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Sauce

At Sprouts Natural Market in Temecula (not to be confused with Sprouts Farmer's Market), they offer raw foods demos a few times a month. A few months ago, they featured this recipe that was simply delicious. The recipes that day were made using new raw products made from coconuts. The line is called Coconut Secrets. They have coconut nectar, coconut aminos (much like Bragg's) and coconut vinegar. I am sure that there are other that I am forgetting. Anyhow, I fell in love with this sauce when I sampled it at the store and finally made it myself just the other day and was reminded of how delicious it was. Here it is:

• 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup raw organic cashews
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• 1 heaping tbsp chopped red onion
• 1 med size garlic clove
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• black peppercorns and/or sea salt to top it off

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

This recipe makes a good amount.

With all the zucchini I've had in my garden this summer, I sliced one up like "noodles" with my mandolin and topped with this sauce. It can also be used as a dip. I used some yummy seed crackers to dip. Enjoy!

Smoothies

In trying to take advantage of summer, I am making it a priority to eat lots of raw foods. Today I've been experimenting with smoothies and have had some great results. Here is what I have come up with.

Raw Chocolate Chia Breakfast Smoothie

1 banana
8 oz. almond milk
1 tsp chia seeds (soaked for 15 min.)
1-2 tsp raw cacao powder
ice as desired

Blend all ingredients on high speed in the blender. So de-lish!


Summer Green Smoothie

1 banana
8 oz apple juice (I juiced my own)
4-5 leaves rainbow chard (from my garden!)
1 kiwi
1 pink grapefruit
1 sprig of mint (from my garden too!)
1 tsp bee pollen
1 tsp raw honey
ice as desired

Blend all ingredients on high speed in a blender. The mint gives this smoothie a super refreshing taste. I was really impressed! I had a mini bowl of raw sunflower seeds, raw pepitas, and pecan pieces with this. Very tasty!

A Breakfast for Champions

And I am not talking about Wheaties here. Put away that box of corn syrup and sugar and fill up your bowl with something fresh and healthy. This is my latest favorite breakfast: fresh mixed berries, bananas, raw sunflower seeds, crushed raw walnuts and almonds, and local raw organic wildflower honey.

Here are some the benefits of the ingredients in this fabulous breakfast.

Dark colored berries like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries (all seen here) contain powerful antioxidants. Berries contain phytochemicals and flavonoids. Eating a diet rich in berries can help reduce your risk of several types of cancers. Blueberries and raspberries also have lutein which is important for healthy vision. Raspberries are also rich in anthocyanins and phytochemicals such as ellagic, coumaric and ferulic acid which can fight cancer.

For more on the health benefits of berries, go here.

Raw sunflower seeds will take care of your hunger, while improving your health by supplying significant amounts of vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. Phytosterols, present in sunflower seeds, are compounds found in plants that have a chemical structure very similar to cholesterol. When these compounds are part of our diets in good amounts, they may reduce blood levels of cholesterol, improve the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers. They also contain magnesium which is necessary for energy production. The list for these little seeds can go on and on.

Almonds lower ldl-cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. High in fat? Yes, but it's good fat. They are are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of fats that are in olive oil and are associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Whole almonds provide the most heart health benefits. Almonds are also high in protein. One fourth of a cup has about 7 1/2 grams-more protein than is provided by the typical egg, which contains about 5 1/2 grams. How's that for a vegan dream?

Walnuts are high in Omega 3's fatty acids which can help keep your heart and blood vessels healthy. They can reverse and prevent high blood pressure. They also decrease pain and inflammation throughout your body and may help prevent breast and colon cancer. These acids can also help to reverse and prevent depression and other mental/emotional health challenges.

There are numerous benefits of consuming raw local honey. If you suffer from allergies, a spoonful a day can be very beneficial. For more on raw local honey, click here.

Now, do you really want to pour those Wheaties in that bowl?

Raw Food Cleanse Journal

Day 1

I had mentioned before that I was concerned that I would lose weight during the cleanse which is something I did not need to do. I checked my weight upon waking and I was 126.4. I started my day off without coffee for the first time in quite a while. I drank 32 ounces of water with lemon instead. For breakfast, I had a green smoothie. In my smoothie was a new ingredient for me: chia seeds which are loaded with essentials such as protein, calcium and omega 3’s and 6’s. Around 10:00/10:30, I became very hungry and tired. I also had a touch of a headache. I think I was hungry because I would typically have a banana or a piece of fruit at that time. Being tired with a headache was mostly likely caused from the lack of coffee. I typically only have a 6-8 oz cup in the morning. I was really shocked to see that I was having slight withdrawal effects. The girls wanted their morning snack and I struggled a bit while making their snack. It took a lot to not eat a spoonful of the natural peanut butter that I was spreading on their crackers. I read through a bit of the raw cleanse book to keep myself focused. It was 11:00 and I was still very hungry, but the headache had subsided after drinking some water. I decided to make the fresh tomato and corn salad I was going to have for lunch and let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so. I had a bite of it while preparing it and it was so good. I was truly looking forward to that 12:00 hour. I ate my salad at 12:15 and it was fantastic! It left me feeling very satisfied but not stuffed even though it was very large. I had never eaten corn raw before and I was quite pleased. I never liked it overcooked anyway. At 1:00, I became tired again, so I took a 30 minute cat nap. It looks, to my surprise, like I am experiencing some detoxification symptoms. The slight headache comes and goes and I am having cravings. The funny thing is that I am craving just extra healthy food like bananas and apples. I think my mind is telling my body that I am hungry. The only thing in my diet that I would be having a withdrawal from is the coffee. I was truly looking forward to my evening yoga practice to clear my head and refocus my intentions. I had a cup of herbal tea. For dinner, I was supposed to start my dinner with fruit such as berries and finish off with a salad. Since my yoga class was at 6:30 and I don’t like to eat a large amount before yoga, I decided to have the fruit before yoga and the salad afterwards. This worked out well. Yoga was good. I was a bit off and kind of touchy but made it through. I was in bed by 10pm.

Day 2

I woke up feeling rejuvenated and consumed my 32 ounces of lemon water. I had lost a little weight. I had a lot of energy and made by green juice. Honestly, at first taste, it was awful. I drink green smoothies quite often but I typically add fruit in with the greens. This one was just straight greens and only lemon as a fruit. After a few sips, I acquired a taste for it and drank the whole thing. I went to boot camp which is a very intense workout. I was concerned I wouldn’t have the energy to make it through, but, to my surprise, I had a lot of energy and excelled during that workout. I went through the rest of the morning with a ton of energy. At lunch time, I had a tomato and cucumber salad, but was unable to finish it. I prepared the balancing broth that I was going to have with my dinner. I then took a 20 minute nap. Upon waking, I had a cup of rooibos tea. I performed a dry skin brushing and took a shower. After the shower, I sat in a massage chair. The book recommended either a deep tissue massage or a sauna. I thought this was close enough. For dinner, I had a large bowl of the balancing broth and a large mixed green “fiesta” salad with lime cilantro dressing. Again, I was unable to finish the large salad. I was in bed by 10:45 which was a little late than the recommended time but I would still be able to get 8 hrs in. Overall, day 2 was a success. I had a very busy day with the girls and the food I consumed gave me plenty of energy to do all that I needed to accomplish. No coffee cravings or headache all day long!

Day 3

I woke up and consumed my 32 ounces of lemon water and had a green smoothie for breakfast. I welcomed it since it had a banana in it and bananas are a favorite of mine. I proceeded throughout my busy morning and waited too long to have lunch. I didn’t eat lunch till 2:30 pm. My lunch consisted of a bowl of yesterday’s balancing broth and a spinach and orange salad with orange tahini dressing. This salad was fabulous! I made a smaller serving because the other salads seemed so large, I was afraid I wouldn’t have been able to finish. Now I wish I would have made it. I was planning on going to pilates, so I had another green smoothie before. When I came home, I had a mixed green salad with purple cabbage and grated carrot, a bowl of steamed broccoli and onions with liquid aminos and an ecstatic elixir which consisted of kombucha, freshly squeezed juice, lemon juice and topped off with sparkling mineral water. This was a satisfying dinner. No headaches, body aches, fatigue or anything out of the ordinary today. I didn’t feel the need to nap as I did the first two days.

I weighed myself the morning after the cleanse and I had lost 2.7 lbs....weighing in at 123.7. I need to gain a little over a pound back. I like to keep it at 125. I'll try to gain it back in muscle weight.

Over all I think this cleanse was a success. Throughout the cleanse, I didn’t feel bogged down and truly had a lot of energy. I did have the mental alertness to do the work in my current advanced composition class that I am taking. This class requires quite a bit of work, so this was a huge bonus for me. I didn’t have any stomach issues or churning like I might have after having some cheese or dairy. I learned how to exhibit a great amount of self control because on two of the three days, I was in social situations with food as the center. I was able to not have a bite. Each day, I consumed over 66 ounces of water.

I would recommend this cleanse to anyone. Especially those who feel their system is sluggish, have a lack of energy or need to release a few pounds.

Now, all I want right now is a nice bowl of warm oatmeal. :)

Raw Update

I haven’t been able to start a raw cleanse yet. My window of opportunity is from Monday to Wednesday and I haven’t sat down to make a shopping list yet of everything I need. I have most everything but am lacking a few items. However, I have been truly paying attention to foods and how they make me feel. I have eaten a very high raw diet this week. My days have ranged from 70%-90% raw. Eating raw foods gives me a lot of energy and the ability to stay focused and complete tasks I need to complete. Here are a few easy recipes that I have used this week. They are high raw and vegan.

High raw veggie wraps



I was hungry and trying to stay high raw so made I made this up as I went along. Amounts are approximate.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• 2 large romaine lettuce leaves
• Bragg’s liquid aminos

Dice the following veggies:

· ½ tomato
· 1 celery stalk
· ½ zucchini
· ½ bell pepper
· 1 tbsp leeks
· 1 green onion
· ½ yellow squash
· A few leaves of dandelion greens
· 2-3 baby bella mushrooms
1/4 cucumber

Put all veggies in a bowl and sprinkle on liquid aminos to taste. Lay out romaine; place a ¼ cup quinoa on top of each leave. Top with diced veggies. Wrap and eat. Serves 1


Zucchini “Pasta” with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

For this recipe, I used the raw spaghetti recipe as a guide, but customized it and used a pesto instead of marinara.

Ingredients:

For the Pasta

1 zucchini

For the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

2 TBSP olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
A few leaves of fresh basil
5-6 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked
Dried oregano
1 TBSP water

Toppings

2 tsp capers
A few black olives
½ tomato – diced
A few pine nuts
Sea salt to taste

Grate or thin julienne cut a whole zucchini to make the “pasta.” I julienned mine with a mandolin but have also made this type of “pasta” with a cheese grater. There is a special tool available to make this kind of pasta but I do not have one yet. See photo below for guidance.

Put all pesto ingredients in a food processor. Pour over pasta. Top with toppings. Eat and enjoy. Serves 1.

Raw Food Cleansing

Just recently a new book was released called, “The Raw Food Cleanse” by Penni Shelton. This book was referred to me by a friend of mine who consumes a high raw diet. I decided to purchase the book through Amazon. At $9 and some change before shipping, you can’t beat the price. Anyways, I’ve been reading the book and although I am not quite done yet, I myself am considering doing the raw food cleanses listed in the book. The book lays out 4 raw food cleanses. There is a 3 day energy boost cleanse, a 7 day rejuvenation cleanse, a 14 day deep detox cleanse, and a 28 day total reset cleanse. I had previously considered my diet pretty raw prior to reading the book, but as I continue reading, I have become even more aware of the food I am consuming. I would say that I am about 50-70% raw which is way more than the typical American. The book mentions consuming an 80% raw diet and leaving the remaining 20% up to you for social situations, etc. There are several testimonies of individuals who have participated in a raw food experiment conducted by the book’s author. The participants list the benefits of the raw food lifestyle. Benefits include increased mental clarity, weight loss, clearer skin, brighter eyes, increased energy, better digestion, and the list continues. I am ready to make that shopping list and start cleansing.

My plan is to start with the 3 day cleanse, give myself a break (while staying very mindful of my consumption) and continue on to the 7 day cleanse. At that point, I will decide if I want to move on the 14 day cleanse. I think my biggest concern with doing more than a 7 day cleanse is losing weight. I do not wish to lose any more weight. I am weighing in right now at 127 lbs which is a great size for me. My BMI is at 20 and my body fat percentage is about 18-19%. The benefits that I am seeking from cleansing are, of course, overall health and wellness and increased mental clarity- especially since I am hitting my courses for my degree head on with full force.
Here is a list of things that are holding me back. I do not yet own a juicer or a food dehydrator. These are two tools that raw foodists own. After reviewing the recipes in the book and conducting my own research, I know that I can get by with my cheap $15 blender, but I would have more options with the juicer. I have been looking into buying one. I have searched new and used and, with so many choices, I am overwhelmed. A dehydrator gives you the option of making raw “chips”, dried fruit, etc. This is yet another decision that has overwhelmed me. I will break down and buy these gadgets eventually; it is just going to take some time.

The next item holding me back is……COFFEE. Now, granted I drink only organic coffee with coconut milk creamer, but if you’re going to cleanse, you’ve got to go for it. I know it’s all in my head. I am not a huge coffee drinker. I drink on average an 6-8 cup in the morning with 3-4 tbsp of so delicious coconut milk creamer. I have come a long way with reducing my consumption. I used to drink 20 ounces per day with who knows how many tbsp of Nestle French Vanilla Creamer which is full of terrible ingredients. I just have one word to say about that creamer and it is hydrogenated.

I think I will be okay giving up cooked foods. I am not a big dairy eater at the moment s that shouldn’t be a problem either. So, I guess that concludes my list. No juicer, no dehydrator, and the fact that I have to give up coffee. That’s not such a bad list, huh? I need to get over it. J
So my plan is to do this 3 day cleanse mid week. I will start on a Monday or Tuesday and conclude the cleanse on Wednesday or Thursday. The author recommends doing this cleanse on a weekend, but my circumstances are a bit different since I do not work. With my husband and daughter are at work and school for most of the day, I think it will be easier to focus on my agenda.

I will continue to post about my journey on this cleanse which I will start someday next week. I need to get my plan and my shopping list in order and then I’ll go in with smoking guns.

Until next time….

Go Green!

Go green! I’m not talking about the environment (although you should go green in that way too). I’m talking about eating your greens. In the summer, I was drinking a green smoothie every morning but I have found this a challenge as the weather has turned colder. Well, I am back on my green drink kick. Smoothies are an excellent way to stuff healthy foods into your diet. They are easy to make and cost efficient.

Today’s smoothie:
· 1 banana
· 1 tangerine
· 1 cup packed baby spinach
· 1 cup packed romaine lettuce
· 2 tbsp ground flax seed (not pictured, sorry)
· 1 handful of ice

I just threw all of it in a blender. I really wish I had a better blender. Mine is just a cheap $15 blender. However, this goes to show that you don't need anything fancy to make a smoothie.

This smoothie has approximately 240 nutrient packed calories and about 6 grams of healthy fats from the flax seed. Flax seed is another super food. Here is some information on it:

Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:

· Omega-3 essential fatty acids. These are "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.
· Lignans. They have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities.
· Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble type of fiber.


Dark green leafy vegetables are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats. Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. Vitamin K regulates blood clotting, helps protect bones from osteoporosis, may help prevent and possibly even reduce atherosclerosis by reducing calcium in arterial plaques, may be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthritis and may help prevent diabetes.

What will be in your smoothie today?

For some good information on green smoothies and healthy eating, visit http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/

Happy juicing!