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End of Juice Feast Update

Finally finished my 92 day juice feast. I took 6 days to transition back to solid food, starting with soft fruit and moving back up to veggies and finally nuts and seeds.

When I was in my first or second week I was salivating over Cyber Dogs. I thought as soon as I got finished I'd hop on a bus and eat my fill of soy dogs. The funny thing now is after all that "deprivation" I no longer have any desire to eat delicious soy dogs, or anything cooked for that matter.

David Rainoshek and Gabriel Cousens talk about "resetting your cellular" memory. It sounds a bit flaky, but here I am experiencing it, and it's great. I was a slave to my cravings, my very cells were screaming out for me to eat more vegan junk food, and now through some twist of fate I'm free. It's time to spread the message.

Total Weight Lost: 60 lbs

Week 11 Update

total after 10 weeks 46.2 lbs
new weight lost 6.4(!!!) lbs
total after 11 weeks 52.6

Apparently angry phone calls to the offices of your Senators burn a lot more calories than one might expect. I'd say it's highly recommended, especially if they start watering down the upcoming Health Care bill ;)

Open Letter to Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

Dear Senator Cantwell,

I've been a supporter and constituent of yours for a long time. You've made some courageous stances in the past against those who would turn our country into something less than it should be in order to bring about "security." The Bush years were scary, and a lot of us felt completely powerless. Voting for you was one of the only things we could to to fight this blight on the honor and respect of our great country.

That's why I can't understand what the Senate is doing in backstabbing Obama on Guantanamo. I didn't see your name among the brave few who took the principled stand with the President and I'm worried. We're in the midst of a number of crucial debates which will determine what kind of country we live in. Now is not the time for cowardice and infighting amongst Democrats. That didn't work for us in the Bush years, and it's not going to work now.

Take the fight to them Senator Cantwell, even if the Republicans abuse their power of filibuster again. If they want to stand for torture let them run on it. You need not fear, we the voters of this great state will be with you %100.

I'll be following this email up with a phone call. I want you to understand how deeply I feel on this matter.

P.S. I'm on all the Obama mailing lists and nothing has come out requesting letters or phone calls. I'm sure you can verify this info yourself. This is an action I'm undertaking on my own to make sure my voice is heard.

Sincerely,
Sasha C.

Thunder Only Happens When It's Raining

sry for the sound quality, but is it just me or does this song sound a lot like "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac? If you sing Stevie Nick's part an octave down to the chorus it's sounds like almost like counterpoint.

Week 10 Update

total after 9 weeks 42.4 lbs
new weight loss 3.8 lbs
total after 10 weeks 46.2 lbs

Week 9 Update

total after 8 weeks 38.6 lbs
new weight lost 3.8 lbs
total after 9 weeks 42.4 lbs

Week 8 Update

word

total after 7 weeks 31.2 lbs
new weight lost 6.4 lbs
total after 8 weeks 38.6

Week 7 Update

total after 6 weeks 28.0 lbs
new weight lost: 3.2 lbs
total after 7 weeks 31.2 lbs

must see!

Food, Inc. by robert kenner

Week 6 update

total after 5 weeks: 23.6 lbs
new weight lost: 4.4 lbs
total after 6 weeks 28.0 lbs

Week 5 update

I missed a week but it looks like the weight loss is slowing a bit

total after 3 weeks: 17.6 lbs
new weight lost: 6.0 lbs.
total after 5 weeks: 23.6 lbs

On Cravings

So during the course of my juice feast I've really begun to learn some things about how we relate to food. What triggered this was an almond commercial announcing a new "portion control" strip on the side that lets you see how much you're eating. This is what I hate about dieting; eating should not involve math goddamn it!

That's my natural feeling on it and up until recently I was thinking that was what was getting me in trouble. I'd get something REALLY good like coconut curry from take-out and mow through it instead of saving half for lunch the next day like I rationally should. This is why the prospect of dieting always seemed kind of grim. You count all your calories and then when you've reached 1500 you just stop eating? That's crazy talk!

In doing the Juice Feast, I have to say, portion control has not been an issue. 4 quarts of juice is a lot to drink in a day, in the first few days I was lucky if i got 2.5. Sure there were cravings, but I was full %100 of the time, not just full, stuffed.

So what changed? I think it was getting all my vitamins and minerals for once. Honestly, it's like all those cravings were my body going into a feeding frenzy searching for magnesium, potassium phosphorus, whatever. And just like a shark I didn't care if I was biting my own tail, I just wanted to OM NOM NOM something.

Now that I think of it, it's quite possible that this is the first time in my life I'm actually getting all my macronutrients, vitamins and minerals. The shark doesn't go on feeding frenzies any more, and I think withdrawal from certain foods (grains, soy etc) has made the shark sort of chill. Like a shark with sunglasses and a martini!

Prophetic Words

"I will live to see the end of Monsanto."
-Vandana Shiva

And now for something completely different

Day 24 of the Juice Feast

I did a nutritional analysis on everything i ate today at nutritiondata.com. Interesting results, I'm getting everything I need and about 1400 calories

Calories: 1401
Protein: 38.9 g
+2.0 g Chlorella
+2.0 g Greens Powder
+1.0 g Vitamin Code Perfect Weight
+0.5 g Kelp powder
44.4 g Total protein

Fat: 47.7 g
should have been more like 32 g
Carbs 239 g


Vitamins Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Vitamin A 85534 IU 1711%
Vitamin C 728 mg 1213%
Vitamin D ~0.0 IU ~0%
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) ~19.9 mg ~100%
Vitamin K ~4240 mcg ~5300%
Thiamin 1.7 mg 114%
Riboflavin 1.8 mg 107%
Niacin 16.2 mg 81%
Vitamin B6 ~3.8 mg ~188%
Folate ~617 mcg
Vitamin B12 ~0.0 mcg ~0%
Pantothenic Acid ~7.2 mg ~72%
Choline ~259 mg
Betaine ~3.9 mg

Minerals Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Calcium 986 mg 99%
Iron 20.4 mg 113%
Magnesium ~757 mg ~189%
Phosphorus ~984 mg ~98%
Potassium ~8750 mg ~250%
Sodium 1748 mg 73%
Zinc ~6.5 mg ~43%
Copper ~3.1 mg ~157%
Manganese ~5.3 mg ~266%
Selenium ~15.1 mcg ~22%
Fluoride ~41.0 mcg

The vitamin D, Selenium, Pantothenic Acid, and Zinc I'm missing are made up for in my mulitvitamin. The B12; I'm getting in my bee pollen. Also the supplement info isn't included.

Speaking of which, how did i get so much fat? I might have put that info in wrong when I made a custom entry. The site doesn't have Hemp Oil listed, although it's got pages and pages of info on Arby's, Mcdonald's, Taco Del, etc. At least it's nice to know i'm good on calcium iron and everything. Holy crap i got a lot of vitamin A.

UPDATE: I was right about the fat grams. I was adding them up wrong so it's more like 23.8 grams which brings the calories down to around 1250.

X-Posted from GlobalJuiceFeast.com

After 3 Weeks of Juice Feasting

this week weight lost: 6.6 lbs
total after 3 weeks: 17.6 lbs

Vegan Protein

Ok so one of my friends was talking about vegetarians the other day. You know the whole "some vegetarians are ok, but some are all anorexic and look angry from not eating enough..." thing. She commented that she couldn't imagine how one would get enough protein as a vegan. I mentioned spirulina, as i'm on a juice feast that's a good portion of my protein in a day, I didn't think to go over the list of protein-atious things i eat normally as a raw vegan or even the things that cooked-vegans eat. So I thought I'd make a list. Actually it should be 2 lists one for raw and one for vegans here goes:

Raw

kelp noodles
kelp powder
nori
wakame
sesame seeds
pumpkin seeds
hemp seeds
sunflower seeds
quinoa sprouts
macadamia nuts
cashews
walnuts
brazil nuts
spinach
spirulina
sprouted lentils
sprouted garbanzos
sprouted mung beans



NOTE: i left almonds off because most almonds you can get in the U.S. are not raw. If you want real-deal raw almonds from canada check on livingnutz.com

Cooked

quinoa
wheat gluten
soy/tofu (bleh!)
tahini
brown rice
millet
bareley
refried beans
kidney beans
black eyed-peas
split peas
black beans
navy beans

Juice Feasting Week 2 Weight loss

week one: 5.1
week two: 5.9
total : 11 pounds

yay!

Global Juice Feast 2009

What the heck is a Juice Feast? Well it's not a diet, although you tend to lose most of your excess weight. It's not a juice fast because you'll be getting your recommended 1500-2000 calories. It's not a lifestyle although many feel so good that they continue it for 92 days or even more. It's not a cleanse although you will be purging your body of the same kinds of toxins that cleansing formulas deal with. In addition you'll be alkalizing, re hydrating and building up your mineral reserves.

I started mine March 7th, the beginning of this year's Global Juice Feast in which people from all over the world are taking control of their bodies and their health by consuming mass quantities of fresh organic juice in lieu of their normal diets (junk food, standard american, vegetarian/vegan, or raw). Without the solid food the organs are able to focus their full attention on removing all of the toxic sludge we accumulate over years of eating at the corporate trough. I'm not sure what his source is, but noted raw food proponent Juliano claims that the average american ingests the equivalent of 17 cell phones in plastics and metals over the course of an average lifespan.

For me this is a great chance to correct some of the damage soy has done to my digestive system.

i can has foodz?

So what kind things am I eating during this 92 days of liquid lunches? The bare bones of it are

• 2 lbs (about 1 kg) of green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, chard, collards, turnip etc.)
• 1 lbs (.5 kg) celery
• 1 cucumber with skin
• 1 quart of fruit juice (grapefruit, pomelo, berries, pears, apples)

Now of course if I juice a pound of kale and try to drink it I'll probably blow chunks... err... green juice all over my kitchen. The secret is how you mix it. Cucumber and celery are a big help in watering it down. Next I throw in some carrots, fennel, zucchini, and/or beets to make it slightly sweet. In addition peppers, garlic, ginger, parsley and such can give it a little flavor so I'm not drinking the same glass of juice over and over again. A little variety, I've found is the key to staying on this diet.

Supplements? Why yes, please!

You can get a surprising amount of protein out of your greens and even some from other veggies. But if you really want to make sure you're losing fat and not muscle adding some protein into the diet isn't a bad idea. I use the tag team of spirulina and kelp in my green juices. In addition and mostly at the suggestion of juicefeasting.com I'm taking

• MSM - aka the "beauty mineral". repairs scar tissue in the body and makes your hair, nails, skin etc infinitely more healthy.
• Chlorella - itsy bitsy little single cell algae. great source of protein and more!
• Fo-ti/He Shou Wu - Mr Wu was an old man in China a long time ago. he starting eating this stuff and his hair turned black again and suddenly he was the stud of the village. he shou wu translates into "the black haired Mr. Wu". Also known as Fo-ti.
• Digestive Enzymes - many different products exist usually with names like "Ultra-zyme". Look for ones with bromelien and papayein and herbs like marshmallow root.
• Cell Salts - your cells like salt too! dissolves under the tongue
  
• Turmeric - i take it in capsule form. has antiseptic/antibiotic qualities, great for the digestion.
• Triphala - for keeping things regular!
• Psylium Seed Husk - fiber!
  

The Juices

Although juicefeasting.com has some different suggestions, I basically drink 2 green juices a day. Each is about a quart and they look something like

my beet, chard, green pepper, zucchini, and parsley juice from this morning.


I mix in a little hemp or coconut oil to give me some good-for-you fat and to make them a little more filling.


My fruit juices are generally smaller, often mixed with water and some cayenne pepper to give it a spicy kick.

pretty pretty cantaloupe-
grapefruit juice.

Results

More info will be forthcoming, but at the end of week one i was down 5.1 pounds. My skin is softer, my eyes are brighter. I'm not hungry much but I do crave weird things. Even seafood/meat which i haven't had in at least 12 years! Supposedly cravings come from toxins so we'll see how long this lasts. Realistically what I'm craving most right now is Cyber Dogs. :3

Damn you soy!!!

Raw Food for the People

i was a bit disappointed by The Renegade Health Show's recent video. It was titled "Raw food for Poor Communities" which raised my hopes but it turned out to be one of those Q & A shows and it only got a minute or so of time. If you're reading this Kevin, I'd love to see a whole episode on this. There have to be ways to bring raw food to the socio-economic group with the highest rates of diabeetus. Obviously I don't mean forcing the lifestyle on people, rather making things like fresh fruit and vegetables as readily available as McDonald's Value Menu items.

There's really not enough discussion of the poor in general, but the problem is even more acute in the raw food community since so many of us have plenty. Generally when people are poor, finding a new diet, understandably, isn't the first thing on their minds.

When one thinks of raw food a cornucopia of nutritional supplements, exotic fruits and vegetables, and high end kitchen accessories come to mind. Why has raw food become the sport of kings? What could be simpler than taking the fruit of the garden and eating it. Well for starters, there's a lot less gardens.

In the past decade there's been a huge increase in community gardening. While this is a good thing, it's not enough. America has to start taking it's gardens back. For a lot of folks (myself included) that limits them to indoor gardening. No balcony, no rooftop, just a window with plenty of light coming in.

The main problem I've run into is that i don't want to be creating a lot of yard waste that isn't composted. I've looked at a few products including this one that supposedly accelerate the process down to 2 weeks AND promise not to stink up your apartment. It's the second claim I'm most skeptical on and I don't want to muck with shipping a stinky composter back. That and it's a little pricey at $199.

Okay, I admit it sounds a bit hokey. Living in the city my apartment space is already quite crowded. But bringing in a bit of nature is one thing for which I'm willing to make that sacrifice. Besides, who knows it could become a trend. Did anyone in the 90's think that knitting would become a popular recreational activity among young adults? Of course not. It's time to sow the seeds people.

Sprouted Raw Hummous

omfg is that a flaxseed cracker? yup and what's it doing by that big bowl of freshly made sprouted raw hummous? it's going in, hawt. this is the best hummous i've made srsly, recipee down below.







Sasha's Sprouted Hummous

2 cups sprouted garbanzo beans (if you don't know about sprouting google it. i might cover it in a later post.)
1/4 cup raw tahini
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice. you could get lazy and use bottled but it will be so much better if you squeeze it yourself
3 cloves garlic: crushed
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1 - 1 1/2 cup rejuvelac (a delicious fermented wheat berry beverage. if you don't know what this is you can just use water or coconut water here. more on rejuvelac soon.)
1 tbsp minced jalepeno or pepper of your choice
1 tsp black cumin
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander seed
a few grinds of black pepper
1 tsp zest from lemmon
1 1/2 tbsp celtic sea salt
lots and lots of olive oil
paprika to garnish

Ok so you've got your sprouted garbanzos, remember, they need to be sprouted, just raw will taste weird and be hard to digest, you throw these in the blender and add a generous splash of olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, tahini and rejuvelac. Go ahead and blend this down to a paste, then add your parsley, jalepeno, lemon zest, and salt. Put on blend while you grind the cumin, black cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes down to a powder. Add through top of blender and continue to blend. How long you blend is dependant on how awesome your blender is and how creamy you want this. Your rejuvelac, lemon, and olive oil will actually help break things down in the fridge, but i find it's best to blend until there are no more little chunks. If you have trouble with this you can add more olive oil and continue to blend.

now when it's ready pour it in it's serving dish (a big flat dish with a top would be ideal) and garnish with olive oil, black pepper and paprika. if you wanna be snobby you can throw a little parsley on top.

all that's needed at this point is a cracker, tortilla, toast, baguette or just about anything you can imagine. as you can see i've dehydrated some flaxseed and veggies into crackers. so as to have a completely raw meal but i leave it to your discression to chose the medium for your hummous. try raw veggies dipped in it too!