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October 2009 archive

Organic Avenue LOVEdeep: Day 1

This morning was the first of my Organic Avenue five dayLOVEdeep and I have to say, the timing could not have been better. My stomach started hurting yesterday after breakfast and the discomfort hit me so hard I had to just go to sleep. When I woke up 2 hours later, I was feeling a little better but definitely not 100%.

This morning I woke up early feeling so uncomfortable, so much pain, that I didn’t know what to do. I felt like tiny Ringo Starr in Shining Time Station was standing inside my stomach practicing the opening chords of A Hard Day’s Night.

Ringo Starr - Shining Time Station

At that moment, I knew without a doubt that I made the right decision to lay off the foods for 5 entire days. Food causes a tiny drum player to practice his art in my belly. Food – at least right now – is not my friend.

When the boy opened the door, the case of juice was sitting right outside. How nice! I thought I would have to go downstairs to get it. The sight of the juice excited me out of my Beatle-induced lethargy, and I jumped out of bed to examine the contents.

I had received a menu via email last night, so I knew what was coming my way. My menu for today was as follows:

  • LOVE deep #1. (approx. 8/9am) Chlorophyll Elixir: FYI: Chlorophyll is what absorbs energy from the sun to facilitate photosynthesis in plants. Chlorophyll to plants is like blood to humans. It is important in many plant metabolic functions such as growth and respiration. (read article)
  • LOVE deep #2. (9/10am) Fresh Pressed Pear Juice: FYI:Pears are one of the most fiber-rich fruits available, weighing in at 5.1g of fiber per serving, which increases satiety and promotes health. They also contain potassium and vitamins B and C, which help regulate blood pressure and may reduce the risk of high blood pressure or stroke. (read article)
  • LOVE deep #3. (11/12pm) Fresh Pressed Young Love: (Cucumber, spinach, celery) Cucumbers are a natural diuretic and can support the health of the liver and pancreas. (read article)
  • LOVE deep #4. (1/2pm) Masters Tonic: (Lemon/Lime, Purified Water, Yacon, Cayenne)
    FYI: Lemon water helps unblock stagnant and clogged chi in the body. Chi needs to flow effortlessly and harmoniously if the body is to be in a healthy state. Lemon water is a good morning drink to start the process of removing impure chi in the body.
    (read article)
  • LOVE deep #5. (3/4pm) Raw Green Soup: (Cucumber, onion, avocado, lemon, garlic, cilantro, parsley, cayenne) FYI: The mild acids that fruits (such as avocado) contain dissolve unwholesome substances, cleanse tissues, and stimulate metabolism in the human body. (source: The Hippocrates Diet, Ann Wigmore)
  • LOVE deep #6. (5/6pm) Fresh Pressed Veg 8*: (Swiss chard, spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, romaine, carrot, tomato, green apple, lemon, lime) FYI: Kale’s sulfur-containing phytonutrients prevent cancer, several researchers point to the ability of its glucosinolates and cysteine sulfoxides to activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver that help neutralize potentially carcinogenic substances. (These detoxifying enzymes include quinone reductases and glutathione-S-transferases).
  • LOVE deep #7. (7/8pm) Coconut Water FYI: Because the short-and medium-chain fatty acids of extra virgin coconut oil and coconut milk are easily and quickly assimilated by the body, they are not stored as fat in the body like the long chain triglycerides of animal products. Studies have shown that populations in Polynesia and Sri Lanka, where coconuts are a diet staple, do not suffer from high serum cholesterol or high rates of heart disease. (read article)

Lots of great information here!

I couldn’t stomach anything at the moment, so I brought all the juices to work with me with the exception of #7, which I left at home for my evening meal.

On my way into work, I walked past someone with food in her hands. I hated her. “Doesn’t she know how good she has it,” I thought. “Being able to eat whenever she wants and not feel sick?” Sorry. I was feeling a bit bitter. And hungry.

When I got to my desk, I started with #1, the chlorophyll elixir. It came in a tiny glass bottle and I was not sure if I was supposed to take it as a shot, mix it with water, drink it slowly? I decided to take a sip and determine the appropriate next step. I braced myself and put the little bottle to my lips. I took a sip . . . and I was pleasantly surprised! Chlorophyll tastes like seaweed salad! Yum!

I drank it slowly, had some water that accompanied it in an icy water bottle, and headed to the bathroom. Thank G-d I didn’t stop and talk to anyone on the way. What Organic Avenue doesn’t warn you is that chlorophyll turns your lips, tongue, teeth and in between the teeth a dark, murky green.

I am so relieved that I saw myself in the bathroom mirror before anyone else did, because I had no idea! I would have brought a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss had I known! I got to work with a wet paper towel and did the best I could. There are still some slivers of green in between teeth that I need floss for. Gross. I decided that tomorrow morning, I will not be drinking the chlorophyll first, as recommended, being that I have a dentist appointment at 10 am. I did buy emergency floss before meeting up with Melissa for a fitness class.

Once the mess was taken care of, I got started on juice #2 – fresh pressed pear juice. Sounds yum, right! And I love pears. But it wasn’t as great as it sounds. It took me a long time to drink this one, but I might have just been full from the chlorophyll or still having stomach aches from last night. At the same time, I also searched far and wide on my floor for a working water cooler. I was freezing from these cold juices and wanted some hot herbal tea. The combination of the tea and the juice likely filled me up quickly as well.

When 12:00 hit, I was reminded of something I learned during Blueprint Cleanse – just because it is “lunchtime” does not mean you have to eat. Eat when you are hungry, not when the clock tells you it’s time. I was not hungry at all and even though the clock said lunch, my body did not crave food as it usually does at this time.

# 3 on the list was fresh pressed cucumber, spinach, celery. LOVED IT. It tastes just like the juices I make at home each morning. I hate celery in real life, but hidden away in a juice is fine by me. The cucumber – which I love – had the dominant flavor. This juice went down nicely and easily. If only I could say the same for the next one…

WHY IS EVERYONE ON TWITTER TALKING ABOUT FOOD‽

Juice # 4 was the ever popular masters tonic. Think Master Cleanse. BPC had this on their menu as well and I was never once able to finish it. One time I didn’t even start it. Unfortunately, the same will be the case this time around. As much as I want to drink this lemon cayenne blend, as much as I know it is good for me, I simply cannot finish it and retain the glorious feeling of not being nauseous.

I was also starting to seriously miss chewing. I knew this would happen. It sucks.

All throughout the day I just kept telling myself, “Today is almost over, only 4 days left. One day down, just 4 days left. 4 days is nothing, it goes so quickly. After tomorrow, it will only be 3 days left.”

The strange thing is that I am not hungry. I feel nourished and full, but I miss and crave actual food. That is the hardest part of this. Not hunger, but wanting to eat. I think I will be strong enough to make it through this week. I hope. It is not easy but when I think of quitting I remind myself that I am doing this for my health. I am doing this to try and feel better.

And when that doesn’t work, a quick glance at my pregnant-looking tum usually does the trick. This is for my health. I want to feel good after this week is over. I want to feel good for a long time. I want to eat cleaner and improve my health and maybe, hopefully, be able to eat salad and oatmeal again one day.

I want to not be sick. I want to be able to make plans. I want to not cancel on people, I want to attend weddings, I want to have vacations and I want to wear clothes to work without feeling a sense of dread at wearing clothes.

Juice #5 is a really delicious raw green soup. I am loving it.

Raw Green Soup - Organic Avenue

It is already 9:00 pm and I don’t plan to keep drinking much more, so I’m not sure if I will try #6, Fresh Pressed 8 and #7 coconut water. Just goes to show you that I haven’t been starving. I’m generally not a fan of coconut water, so there is no love lost. I am curious about Fresh Pressed 8 though. Maybe I will substitute today’s for tomorrow’s lemonade.

Speaking of tomorrow — the menu just arrived in my inbox. Tomorrow’s menu has lots of new facts for you. I love how the menu varies a little each day! It makes this so much less monotonous. I’ll go over tomorrow’s juices in the evening, but let’s just say I am VERY excited for the soup.

Be back tomorrow with another recap. For now, take my survey so you can win a Physique 57 or Core Fusion DVD!

(1) Five Day Juice and (2) Eating Lifestyle Changes

A big thank you to everyone who has participated in my survey so far! It is awesome to see so many responses but we would really love to see even more. There are a few of you who took the survey but didn’t comment or email to let me know. Without your name, I can’t announce you as the winner so you might not be eligible. Please let me know if you took the survey but didn’t tell me yet!

And if you didn’t take the survey yet, what are you waiting for?

Next week is going to be a major week for me nutritionally. You might remember that I did the Blueprint Cleanse a few months ago. I ate no solid foods for three days and I felt great. However, while I love green juice, I did not love BPC’s green juice recipe. I narrowed down the culprit to romaine. As a result, I was unable to finish my 6 allotted juices each day and missed out on essential nutrition.

Once the cleanse was over, I felt pretty good for a few months. Recently, it all turned around and I haven’t been doing so well. I decided to do another juice fast and give my digestive system a little break and allow my body to heal. I decided to go big this time and will be partaking in a 5 day juice fast with Organic Avenue, the 5 Day Love Deep. Organic Avenue is an amazing raw/vegan store in Manhattan. Last summer, my friend Jonathan took me in there on our way to brunch and I literally fell in love. While I wanted to try everything, we were about to eat, so we shared what I believe was a delicious mint chip smoothie and I vowed to return.

But there was a little problem with that. Organic Avenue is far! The location I went to (they now have another in the west village) was on the lower east side – not near home and not near work. It simply was not convenient for me to go there. But I did take and save their information about their cleanses, so when I decided to lay off the foods for a few days and wanted a different experience than BPC, I decided to speak to Organic Avenue.

I must say, they are so nice there! While I wanted to do another 3 day cleanse (I mean, really, no food for 3 days is long enough for me) Organic Avenue explained that, especially given my GI problems, the 5 day would be much more beneficial. And then they threw in a little discount. They are awesome. I consulted with a professional and got the go-ahead. And so, on Monday, I will embark on a feat so unlike me that you might not recognize me. I will commit to eating no solid food for 5 days. I will write a recap every day and post it here.

Here is a sample menu of one full day:

L.O.V.E. #1. Energy elixir: e3/H20

L.O.V.E. #2. Fresh squeezed orange/grapefruit juice

L.O.V.E. #3. Veggie vibe

L.O.V.E. #4. Masters tonic

L.O.V.E. #5. Cucumber basil soup

L.O.V.E. #6. Green vibe

L.O.V.E. #7. Coconut water

Organic Avenue

While I will miss the BPC’s amazing cashew milk, I am excited for the cucumber basil soup here. And from what I have heard from my friend Cassie, their juice is, and I quote, “magical.” Although their green juice does contain romaine, the all green juice only seems to appear on the menu once each day. I can handle that. It was 4 a day that I could not stomach.

The juices will be made fresh each day, arriving at my door between 6 am and 8 am each morning! I also plan to drink plenty of hot herbal tea to warm myself up and keep myself full and happy.

I want to mention a few important points here:

  • I am not doing this fast to lose weight. I am doing this because my GI problems have gotten out of control once again, and I am looking to give my body a rest, get myself back on track, and return to solid foods with a healthier outlook (more on that soon)
  • I don’t believe juice fasts should be used as a long-term weight loss tool because as soon as it is over and you eat a solid meal, the pounds will come right back.
  • If you are considering a juice fast, I urge you to check with your doctor or nutritionist or health counselor. If you’d like to make an appointment with a fantastic food coach, I highly recommend Gena. If you start a juice fast blindly, you might experience a slew of problems, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness. It is crucial to get professional advice first. I get most of my advice from Cassie and I also speak to Gena.
  • If you are considering a juice fast to lose weight, like I said, it won’t be a loss you can keep off. If you are considering a juice fast to jumpstart you into a healthier lifestyle, and that healthier lifestyle results in your weight loss, that is wonderful! But again, please check with a professional first.

I don’t want to go right back to feeling awful after next week is complete. My mind has been turning recently and I have already made some decisions that I started on, but I believe will have more of an impact after the fast. This is something I never thought I would do, but things change and people change and I made the decision to stop eating meat. I had already limited my meat consumption to only that which I can be sure was raised sustainably, but recently I realized that meat in general is not at all appetizing to me. The times I have eaten meat lately, I didn’t enjoy it very much. I also didn’t feel great after. Not belly pain or anything, just overall blah.

And not only has it not been appetizing, I sometimes feel outward revulsion. I couldn’t figure out why and finally I realized I just am not enticed by meat anymore.

For now, I will call myself a pescatarian. Overall, fish has not been appealing to me anymore either (says the girl who can’t really eat vegetables — so what’s left!). But I would like to want to eat fish and therefore I will not prohibit them. I would especially like to up my intake of wild salmon. For now, I can’t.  I do believe these aversions are my body’s way of telling me something. I’d better listen.

Vegetarian Dinosaur Comic

I do want to add that eating meat from animals raised on sustainable farms has many health benefits and is, from what I have read, ecologically essential. Eating meat from factory farms or CAFOs is not cool. If you want meat, I cannot stress enough the importance of sustainably raised chicken, beef, pork, etc. Know where your food is coming from.

Additionally, I plan to drastically cut down on my dairy consumption. I won’t be actively putting cheese on or in things anymore, except for goat. Goat can stay. I won’t be putting cow’s milk in my cereal. But I will have dairy when my restaurant options are limited or when it is an ingredient in something I really want or when a pizza materializes in front of me.  I do NOT think dairy is bad, I believe it has many health benefits in its raw form. I would just like to see how I do without as much of it after this fast. I think it might be good for me. I think I will feel cleaner. I do plan to continue eating fresh, farmers market sustainable eggs.They are my favorite food to make and they make me happy.

Another change I will make after the cleanse is to have juice and only juice for breakfast. I had been having juice first and then a larger meal a little later, thinking this was the only way I could be full until an appropriate lunch time. I realized after spending a few days juicing until dinner that just a second juice in the morning will keep me full straight until lunch. If you think about it, two 16oz juices are a LOT of vegetables. It’s very easy for me to make one juice at home and buy another when I get near work, so that is what I have been doing and plan to keep doing. Another thing I hope to do more is juicing until dinner, until I can better figure out how to work cooked vegetables in.

Speaking of vegetables, I have been eating cooked vegetables lately but my stomach hasn’t been thrilled with it. I crave vegetables and I need their health benefits and I am hoping that after the cleanse my body will be better able to cope with their fibrous ways. I hope.

And clean food can be so much fun. I made Gena’s banana soft serve twice last week and I am officially in love. Her recipe calls for a food processor, but after I discovered both of mine to be in heaven, I made it in the blender and it came out perfect. Use the “stir” setting in the end to fluff it up. Less dairy ice cream for me, more banana soft serve.

Photo from and recipe on Choosing Raw:

Banana Soft Serve

So that is that. Some big lifestyle changes but I felt really relieved once this decision hit me in the head and I spoke it out loud to the boy. I am excited to update you all each day this week on my Organic Avenue fast. I am nervous (no food‽ 5 days‽) and also excited. And looking forward to feeling better.

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