New detox symptoms

Apart from the zit from HELL being prominently displayed on  my face this morning, I believe I'm experiencing a more subtle detox symptom.

For the past few days I've found myself remembering old hurts;  bad experiences in which people have been unfair or pushy in the past, which I'd forgotten about.  I must explain that I am a person who will run a mile from confrontation, and I've tended to be a bit of a doormat over the years.  Not so much anymore, but for much of my life I would tend to say nothing in the face of a bad situation.  I never lost my cool - but then I would go away and fret about it - and of course in the bad old days, that would include swallowing my anger along with a nice big piece of chocolate, or other sugary treat.  As a journalist I was an asset because I could always work under pressure;  looming deadlines were no problem.  Sadly the cost of that was my health.

What I think is happening now is that my body has been storing years of pent-up anger and frustration in my cells, maybe along with my fat, and now that my diet is as  clean as a whistle (nothing but the best food since the end of the juicing),  it's all coming to the surface and being released, along with my stored  toxins.

It's just a theory, but I can't think of any other reason why I would suddenly start to remember long-forgotten instances of injustice and stifled anger.  Of course the other theory is that now I'm no longer using food to stifle my emotions, everything is going to come bursting out.

Whatever it is,  I think it's a very good sign.  It's time I let go of some baggage.

Yesterday I had green juice in the morning;  lunch was a green salad (bigger than my head), which included sundried tomatoes, a few raw almonds, romaine, spinach, parsley, onion, sprouts, half a small avocado and a squeeze of lemon juice - all sprinkled with nutritional yeast;  and for dinner I made a raw lasagne - layers of :  paper-thin zucchini strips;  a mix of fresh and dried tomatoes with rosemary, finely chopped together with a tiny bit of olive oil; a blend of fresh spinach and lots of fresh basil;  marinated chopped portabello mushrooms, and just a little of last weeks' almond feta cheese.  I pressed the layers into a square springform cake tin, finished the top with the tomato mixture and some more of the feta, and warmed it in the dehydrator for about an hour.

It looked gorgeous when I served it - I 'unsprung' the tin, and it held together like a beautiful, jewel-coloured layer cake.  We enjoyed it with some of the wonderful sauerkraut which I made last week, flavoured with dill and mustard seeds.  It was a wonderful comforting meal on a cool Autumn evening.  I'm so glad the family are enjoying the raw goodies, too.

By the way - weight this morning is 62.5kg (137.7lb) - a teeeeny gain from the end of the feast, and I'd attribute that to the extra water in my system which is being attracted by the fiber I'm eating.  So YAY!

SF Vegetarian Festival

WOW - what a weekend!

From food demos to vegan speed dating to entertainment to books and clothing, the weekend had it all.

There were dozens of booths, selling books, giving away samples of wonderful, healthful foods, posters, buttons and badges, there were healing and health products, and everyone was in a friendly and happy mood.

But for me, the most wonderful thing was the incredible talent of the speakers who took the floor all weekend.  There were 4 different events happening at any one time, so I'll quickly cover the ones I attended.  I was just sorry I couldn't be everywhere at once.

Dr Michael Greger, MD, gave an engaging talk on the latest in Clinical Nutrition.  Sounds a bit of a snoozer, but this guy presented it in the form of a game show.  We were hanging on the edge of our seats, impressing ourselves with the stuff we already knew, and 'ooh-ing and aaah-ing' at the incredible facts we didn't know - for example, did you know it's a mistake to eat raw mushrooms?  They should always be cooked, to avoid a rare toxin.  And did you know that even by handling beef, even if you don't eat it, you're exposing yourself to all kinds of viruses, including the quite disgusting but all-too-common condition known as "Butcher's Hands" - a warty infestation....yecch.  It was a great presentation, and we all had a lot of fun.

Drs Milton Mills and Roberta Schiff told us how to put our collective colons to work (here's a hint - eat more fibre)...

Dr William Harris, the incredible skydiving octogenerian from Hawaii, gave us 2 rules:  if man made it, don't eat it;  and if it doesn't have fiber in it, don't eat it.   He also provided a ton of useful information about vegan nutrition, vitamin B12, and valuable links to his impressive website.

Bill Harris MD

We enjoyed a raw vegan dinner provided by Cherie Soria and the team from Living Light culinary Institute (yay!) We enjoyed a Mexican meal - a wonderful and tasty gazpacho, raw corn chips with guacamole and salsa, and enchiladas de verduras accompanied by a wonderful Mexican spiced cabbage, and finished off with a terrific chocolate orange mousse.   As a person newly emerging from a long period of juicing, I tasted everything but the dessert - I didn't manage to finish any of it, but my faithful husband hoovered up my leftovers without blinking.  What a pal.

On the Sunday we heard from a beautiful and stunning lady - Vaidya Priyanka, a seventh-generation Ayurvedic healer.

The auditorium was packed for John Robbins, author of 'Diet for a New America', and the man who famously turned his back on the Baskin-Robbins ice-cream empire.   He spoke passionately about the plight of the animals;  the emotional bond between a mother and her baby, and gave graphic descriptions of the harsh treatment of calves destined for veal, and the hens described as 'cage-free' (spoiler:  their lives are terrible).  If you haven't read his book, you simply must.

Abeba Wright is also known as 'The Krazy Kracker Lady', and she gave a terrific demo on making the perfect raw cracker.  I was particularly interested in this, because my crackers don't crack.  It was a fun class, and I have my dehydrator whirring as I type, with my first batch of onion crackers - can't wait to see if they turn out as deliciously as hers.   Her crackers were like chips, and they were CRUNCHY.   Her book is a classic, and as far as I know, the only raw book specialising in crackers.

For me, though, the entire weekend came to an incredible high when Howard Lyman took the floor.  Luckily for me, I'd been able to chat with him the previous day, and we discussed the many flaws facing New Zealand's dairy industry.  Embarrassingly for me, he knew more about it than I did.  It was a real privilege to chat with him, and I was impressed by his depth of knowledge and his friendly and down-to-earth personality.

So I was very excited to hear him speak, in a lecture called 'Living for Life'.  And he didn't disappoint.

He was witty and engaging, down-to earth and self-effacing - he lulled us into a false sense of security with a lot of easy jokes ('I became a vegan because I couldn't spell vegetarian'), and told the story of his appearance on Oprah talking about the perils of mad cow disease and the subsequent six-year legal battle, being sued by the cattle ranchers association (which he and Oprah won).

And then he let us have it!  He is a big man - I'd say six feet three, at least.  And he has a powerful voice to match.  He left us in no doubt about our responsibilities to this planet.  He passionately told us about his six grandchildren and one great-grandchild;  about the responsibility we all have to make sure the planet survives.  He told us that factory farming is responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming;  more than cars, places and all other forms of transport put together.

He implored us all to join the movement to challenge the status quo.  He left us trembling in our seats as if we'd sat through a thunderstorm.

It was a fabulous experience.  When we left to go home, we were (all three of us - myself, husband & daughter) very quiet and reflective.  This morning we all came together, all of us realising we have to act on what we know.

Because that's the thing about knowledge, isn't it?  Once you've opened that door;  once you know the facts, you can't forget or ignore it.  It is life-changing.

For my husband and I, we know we will return to New Zealand in the next couple of years, and we have vowed to work hard to spread the word.  From what we choose to put on our plates to what is in the atmosphere, it's all linked.   Our health is only one aspect.  As Howard Lyman put it, a person's health is important only to a small number of people.  But the health of the planet is vital.

So, the weekend was amazing.  Covering all aspects, from personal health to animal cruelty to the survival of the planet and the human race;  it was an emotional journey.  I laughed, I cried, I raged at the injustices, and I thought really, really hard.

Props to the San Francisco Vegetarian Society for a terrific experience.

In the face of all of this information, posting my weight each day seems such a trivial thing to do.

I'm still here - the aftermath

Yesterday was a very, very strange day.  I didn't actually manage to eat anything other than juice until about 4pm, when I finally ate a piece of fresh, juicy nectarine.  It was strange; I almost didn't like the sensation of having something in my mouth, and actually chewing.

I really had to force myself to eat in the end - so I made a batch of soup - carrot, celery and roasted onion, with some herbs and miso and blended until smooth.  It really was delicious and slipped down easily, but I felt utterly full after one bowl.  It was a beautiful experience, sitting down with the family and sharing a meal.  Toward the end of the juicing period I realised I was becoming like the family dog, sitting at the table watching everyone else eat.

So, here I am, not feeling so dejected as I was yesterday.  I've had some fresh fruit again today, and a small bowl of my soup from yesterday.

Most importantly I feel very, very well, and I haven't thought about junky food at all.  I also feel very positive again about the blog, and I'm going to take my camera and report back on the events of this weekend;  that is, the SF Vegetarian festival.

With the blog, I want to share my foodie journey, warts and all.

Meantime, here is my recipe for my soup:

Fast-Breaker Soup

6 large onions, either red, golden or a mix
3 or 4 carrots, roughly chopped
half a head of celery, roughly chopped
big bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
1 dessertspoon miso
around 3 quarts water
olive oil

Roughly chop the onions and place in a wide-based pan, along with a tiny amount of olive oil.  Place on stove at VERY low heat.  This step feels as if it takes forever.  The idea is to allow the onions to release their juices and to steam until they are soft.  Just stir them every ten minutes or so, while you're doing other things around the house.  Try not to rush them.  They'll start to soften and look pale and unappetising.  Don't be worried, just let them do their thing.  Eventually they'll start to colour up and show some caramelisation.  Once that happens, it's OK to turn up the heat a little.  Keep stirring and growing increasingly excited by the delicious smells beginning to emanate from the pan.  Keep on going until they are all a gorgeous, caramel colour.  Turn off the heat.

Put the remaining vegetables and the herbs in a big pot, and wave the oil bottle over them for about a third of a second.  Heat gently (hotter than for the onions), stirring and sizzling until the veges are a little browned.  Add the miso and the water and bring to boil.  Once it's boiling, turn down the heat and simmer until the veges are softened.  Turn off the heat and cool.

When everything is cool, throw it all in the blender, including the onions.  Make it as smooth or as chunky as you like (I like it very smooth and creamy).  Put it back in your soup pot, heat gently and taste for seasonings.

Serve and enjoy.

This soup is light and still satisfying.  It responds well to a squeeze of orange juice, or the addition of curry spices, if you like them.  If you want to make it more substantial, you can add lentils or chickpeas during the cooking process or after you've blended it (pre-cooked, of course), depending on the texture you like.  Another nice variation is to serve with a spoonful of delicious hummus floating in the centre.  This looks pretty, adds a little protein and extra flavour, and also adds a creamy texture, with its tiny amount of fat.

Sprinkle with some freshly-chopped herbs, like parsley, oregano, cilantro or chives.

My husband likes it with lots of toasted bread with a garlic clove rubbed on it.  I just nosh on it as is.

Dave Swift on Bass with Beverley Knight "Change is Gonna Come"

This is a treat of the musical variety. I still have goosebumps.

Intaglio frutta ANGURIA

Sticking it all in the blender suits me just fine, but what a lovely thing to do for a special occasion.

The Breakdown of the Juice Feast

This morning I sat down with my trusty copy of  Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition by Rolfes, Pinna and Whitney, and calculated exactly what I've been taking in to my body this past month.  And it was a revelation.

I calculated my average caloric intake from four quarts of mostly green juices, and it came to approximately 860 kcal. ( Note:  this doesn't include the pure fruit juices I often drank in the afternoons.  I left them out because I didn't drink them every day.  But they would be adding a hefty amount of kcalories, and plenty of vitamins).

The total kcal could explain why I've been losing the weight.  But this is not about weight loss alone, it's about getting healthy.  So I took a look at the nutrient levels.

On the one hand, I was sorry to see the claims of the juice feasting gurus were not entirely accurate, in that the juice alone will not supply EVERYTHING we need according to official guidelines.  But I was surprised at just how much the juices DO supply.

My four green juices alone supply enough or more than enough magnesium, potassium, Vitamin A, riboflavin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin C.

They also supply at least half of the daily requirement (for my gender and age group) of calcium, iron, sodium, thiamin and vitamin E.

Energy-wise, the juices supplied around 860 kcal, of which 848 are from carbohydrate, and 80 are from protein.  There is a trace of fat.

Of course there is no Vitamin B12 supplied at all, because there are no animal products in my juice, and that's the only reliable source in these days of depleted soils.  And even that is questionable.  Selenium is another which is noticeably lacking, again because of unreliable sources and poor soils.  It's possible to obtain selenium from vegetables, but it's not very dependable.  Incidentally, the best source is Brazil nuts, and if you eat one per day you will have all the selenium you need.

So an interesting morning's research.  As a raw vegan eating a solid food diet, the vast array of veges and fruits which I've been juicing provide enormous amounts of nutrition alone.  If I were to eat them whole, and with the judicious inclusion of nuts and seeds, I would be doing far better than so many others on the Standard American Diet (SAD, and it is.)  But is that good enough?

It comes to the question of insurance, in the form of supplements.  The addition of spirulina to a juice each day would seem to be a good idea, although I note that the labels on both my spirulina and my vitamineral green are lacking in details as to their actual nutritional breakdown.  Which is a shame.  I do know they contain many greens and are a good source of protein, but sadly it's not possible to be more specific.  Wheatgrass is also an option.

A good all-round vitamin supplement, eg Centrum (I'm reading the label right now) provides almost everything including B12, but I note it contains no thiamin.  With more research,  I found out that watermelon is a good source.  Perhaps that's why I've been enjoying those watermelon juices so much!

Supplements (including flax seed oil) can take care of the missing elements in the short term, but this is clearly not a long-term way of eating.  The body needs fibre.

So in a nutshell:  juice feasting supplied me with an amazing array of nutrients - my four quarts supplied me with all I needed of many individual nutrients and half the daily requirement of many more.

Five or more quarts of juice will take care of kcal intake, depending on your age and activity level, and supply more nutrients.  The key is to drink as much as you want to, and never to go hungry.  Listen to your body - it will tell you how much it needs.  Bear in mind that my four quarts per day suited me fine, but I am 43, work at a desk all day, and I am 5 feet tall.  My energy needs are low.

The great payoff is the pure nutrition you take in from the pure juice.  Unencumbered by processing chemicals and toxins, it is so easily absorbed.  Drinking fresh organic green juices provides the body with the fuel to repair cellular damage, is a great cleanse, and is a great way to rest and heal.

I've experienced a terrific burst of energy and a general lift in my mood.  I believe there are other elements at play here which we don't always see in the process of living on the SAD.  I also think juicing is a great way to kick off a new way of eating, and to quickly break the old habits of, and appetite for, eating toxic foods.  After all this effort and good nutrition, it would be very difficult to return to the dead food diet.  It may open the door to a whole new life.

That being said, I think 30 days is enough for anyone to do unassisted.  Longer periods may present  nutritional challenges for the uninitiated, and it would be wise to seek the support of experts in this field.

I'm going to take a couple of days to rest and regroup on the blog;  figure out what to do with it next.  My feeling is that I'll continue to share my food journey, but perhaps include some recipes and other news and interesting bits and pieces as they come along.

I know that right now nobody is reading this, and I'm just fine with that - as I find my wings I'll be glad to have had this as a record of where I've been at, and I like to think that maybe it will help someone else, somewhere along the line.

It's over

Well, I made it for 30 days - not the intentioned 90.  I feel a bit sad today, and so far I've not consumed anything solid - just can't get through that barrier.  I've drunk some OJ and a green juice.

Anyhow -  down to business - weight this morning is 62.4kg (137.5lb), which makes my total loss for the month 6.2kg (13.6lb).

So the first thing to be aware of is that it isn't a hugely dramatic weightloss when you consider the first couple of kilos came off within the first few days.  This, I believe to be a good thing;  it means it's not a starvation diet by any stretch of the imagination.  More about that later.

Now, the before and after pics:  Here I am on day one

Feeling pretty bad, I can tell you.

Here I am today, after 30 days of mainly green juices.

Quite an improvement!!

Apart from the obvious weight loss, I can tell you that my skin has improved, I'm sleeping much better, my mind is clear and able to focus on the task at hand;  also my fitness has improved and my overall mood is much more positive.  I'm so happy about that, because the goal was never simply weight-loss - it was health gains that I was after, along with a way to shake off some poor dietary habits which had been creeping in.

I think this has been a great way to break those bad food habits and instill a feeling of cleanliness in my body - certainly I've no desire or appetite to rush out and stuff myself with junk food.  Why put in all of this effort and feel this great, and then go out and ruin it?

I feel very committed to continuing to feed myself clean, healthy whole foods.  Luckily I have my raw chef training to guide me, so I have a good knowledge of how to eat well.  I know this is a stumbling block for many people new to eating in this way;  the question of just what CAN I eat arises and causes problems all too often.  I want to help people to find a new way to eat well, teach them good nutrition, how and where to shop, what to prepare and practical ways to achieve a clean, healthy diet.

During the feast I did a nutritional breakdown of just what I was consuming.  I'll post that next.

Let me just end with saying that I feel so incredibly grateful to have had this experience and the support of my family, which enabled me to do it.

Perhaps I will do this each September.