Tuesday, June 11, 2013

New Beginnings, Juice Fasting and Resetting the System


Wow…where to start!?

So in the last few weeks my hubby has accepted a job opportunity in British Columbia, Canada, a long ways from Ontario. As a result we have many things to organize and think about: How to comfortably bring the animals (all six!), rent our condo, where will we live, etc. It’s a very exciting process and new adventure indeed, though we will dearly miss our family and friends. To top it all, B and I are now also aunt and uncle once again to our darling little niece – love her to bits!

Deep breath. In addition to all of this I have certainly been under some stress the past few years with some poor behaviors such as lack of sleep, and eating dinner/snacking very late. Most of these non-ideal behaviors have begun with working later evenings (especially in the past), and not arriving home till sometimes well after 9:00pm. These habits don’t happen over night…they have been brewing for some time, so it will take time to change them, but I am ready! In addition to these poor actions, I have also been battling with some major digestive troubles, burning/sore eyes, crazy allergies, and severe skin issues – acne (again), hives, rashes, and eczema. I have given this much needed thought and research, persistently indexing through my memory what has worked and when on my journey the troubles crept up again. I have some ideas, but nothing set in stone. What I do know is that my body has been crying for a juice fast, and I have decided to listen, finally! This is day two and I must say I am feeling pretty fantastic. Although I have been living a mostly raw, plant based lifestyle, never have I yet chosen the path of juice fasting because perhaps I was intimidated. With a new life ahead, I really feel this is just what I need to reset my constitution for a fresh (love the way this word makes me feel) new start. Ahhh. Sigh of relief

Although I have been making green juice with the inclusion of wild greens, which are uber nutrient dense (powerhouse!), I have also enjoyed some carrot, ginger, apple, lemon infusions, and tonight this spectacular lemonade – wowzer. So fresh and zing-y!! Back to the greens...
Some of the local wild greens I have been juicing are a good source of vitamins and minerals:
  • Plantain Greens- Rich in iron and vitamins A and C. Also great for healing skin ailments when applied topically in a salve or paste form.
  • Dandelion - The leaves contain vitamins A, C, K , calcium, iron, manganese, and potassium.
  • Stinging Nettle - Rich in vitamin C and iron
These are just some of the vitamins and minerals in these fabulous wild edibles, but they also have an abundance of medicinal qualities!I'll get more specific in a future post, because this is an important subject!

Working as a raw chef at a retreat, cafĂ©, and privately, it’s become second nature for me to create exquisite combinations, and create intense flavours – I love it! BUT, I have realized that these types of foods are not contributing to my well-being. I don’t really eat them per say, but all of that taste-testing on a daily basis adds up. It becomes a huge load on the body over time with so much complexity. IMHO. Of course, a treat on occasion should be fine, but it’s easy to get carried away.

It’s amazing how much more time one has when not preparing time consuming dishes, not to mention digestion is a breeze. Over the next few days I will continue to share my experiences with juice fasting and my nutritional goals for my future dietary trials.

For now, I leave you with this super simple tart and sweet lemonade. Enjoy!

Tart and Sweet Lemonade



3 large sweet apples (pink lady, fuji or honey crisp)
2 Lemons (rind removed)
Tiny Knob of Ginger (optional) – I like a little spice.

Juice, and consume with gratitude.

Hope you all had a happy, healthy Tuesday!