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June 13, 2013

JUICING FOR HEALTH, FOR LIFE and FOR WEIGHT LOSS

So like many people around the world I saw "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" back in 2011even though it was out in 2010. Years before this movie I had been juicing and following Doctors like Joel Fuhrman and even Dr. Oz to me the king of the "Green Juice" I was just not juicing 100% for all meals. I have always eaten pretty healthy after my early 20's.  I've been eating real whole foods for over 18 years now; after I gave up my addiction to soda & fast food dollar menus back in the early 90's.  So why have I had a horrible time loosing weight? I know my workouts were few and far between but wouldn't that make me a skinny fat person? I have not been a big fan of dieting and I have tried a few but if they lasted more then 2 weeks I'd be shocked. So I would not put myself in a yo-yo dieter category. I'd been to counseling and therapy for the childhood trauma and drama, I felt my spiritual life was on track and my beliefs were strong. My love life had been awesome and now I was happily married to a man who loved all parts of me with no judgment. So why all the weight? The only thing I could think of was my body needed to cleanse and balance. Was I really eating as much plant base food as I thought? The answer was NO! I WAS NOT. So began my first ever juice cleanse and somehow I am on a mission to find true balance that I can eat like this for the rest of my life without giving up pizza, pasta, Indian food, Eggs Benedict & fried chicken with mashed potatoes if I really wanted! 

My first whole week on the juice fast went well but again not 100% plant based. 
Day 1 perfect all greens, some root veggies and some fruit. My husband came home popped a meal that I made him to get through the week and I went crazy! Just like a true addict I wanted whatever was in that microwave and I wanted it NOW! It was horrible, I went crazy and yelled at him...poor guy! I have no idea how that one lady on "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" went to a steak house, there was no way I could have done that on a juice fast. After that night my guy came home and said let's have some kale juice! I smiled because it was so sweet of him but nights were hard for me. I needed something else, so I started making veggie soup with my own juice as broth and I did add 2 potatoes to a huge pot because I really needed to feel like I was eating something yummy! It worked for me I was able to do that for 12 whole days nothing but juice morning and noon and at night I did a salad with soup and juice over a couple hours. People kept asking "how do you feel?" I said "the same" why because I pretty much was eating healthy just not CLEAN. For me eating clean is no sugar, no salt, no flour and for the most part few grains. I did however add avocado, quinoa, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, chia seeds, hemp seeds, Brazilian nuts, walnuts, bananas, olive oil, coconut oil & almonds. There were a few times i needed salt so bad and I would make kale chips but in the end I really wanted a potato chip so I would eat one of those little 1 oz size bags and I would feel better and stay on track. 

Looking back on that 12 day period I am very proud of me and I did have some weight loss. Most of all I fit into pants I could not wear 6 months ago and they were BAGGY on me! So I chose to do 2 days off and start again. That was easier then I thought it would be but today on day 4 of my second go a round, I saw a frozen giant blueberry muffin and had to have it with a glass of milk...oohhhh was that a bad idea! I have such cramps right now and I felt crappy right after I ate that big ol muffin. Not in a emotion way but crappy in a physical way.  What I did in those 12 days before was truly cleaning out my system and I did shrink my stomach in how much I can eat. That muffin was truly an overload of fat, sugar and crap I have not really eaten for over half month. 
So was that muffin good? YES, at the time it was super good all warm and moist with an icy cold glass of vitamin D milk. Now was that muffin good? Not really because my gut hurts and I feel queasy...so for rest of the day I am flushing myself with pure water, not yukky chlorinated tap water either. I will eat a green apple in a couple hours then start off with a simple green juice like spinach, celery, cucumber and a few carrots. Tonight I will kale up with a shot of beet juice but today I have learned my lesson and I will love me for where I'm at. Lesson learned and in my eyes I am still on track.

~ Heather
Ms Foodie or now Ms Veggie
Recipes coming soon and I will share all about my blenders, juicers and kitchen gadgets too.

































Vegetarian Lentil Soup


I like to go on soup kicks and for some reason in June it has been REALLY cold at night. Lentil soup has always hit my spot of comfort healthy. I love meat but I also love really good vegetarian, what I have problems with is I don't like most veggie broths out there on the market shelves. I went to the kitchen and this is what I came up with.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup


I literally chop & toss....even the onions. 


Broth:
Blentec 1 red pepper....or puree it
Quarter 3 boiler onions or yellow
add 4 carrots w/skin
whole head of celery leaves and all
chopped mushrooms
1 large russet chopped with skin on
1/2 Thai chili chopped
sea salt & ground pepper to taste
4 bay leaves
1 tsp of thyme leaves
boil for 45 mins….simmer for 30 mins let cool on stove for 1 hour.
Use a strainer and there is your broth for lentil soup, you should have 5 cups and some extra if you need it. If not add water and you will have to add some more salt probably. If you have extra then put it in a freezer bag or freeze safe jar and keep it for up to 6 months.
Toss in order……
Olive oil to coat the pot
1 onion, diced...stir a few minutes
6 cloves of garlic
1 large russet, I rough peel it but leave about 50% of the skin on, chop in nice size cubes
2 celery stalks sliced...toss to heat and coat
No add
5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry lentils that have been washed and checked for rocks
1 carrot sliced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbls of fresh thym or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
boil for about 45 mins or until lentils get soft