Day 3 Juice Fast for Peace

Gabriel Cousens is running a week long "Juice Fast for Peace" in New York City this week - so I've decide to run my own at home. You can follow my exploits at http://detox-juice-fast.blogspot.com/

High Liquid Diet

It's been a fab summer, but hectic. I'm still dreaming of being more organized, creative, and attracting divine abundance! I picking up one of my old notebooks yesterday and discovered a "to do" list from about this time last year. Most of which I never achieved. So it's time for a bit of soul searching, and set myself some new more exciting goals.

With Joe now happy back at school - and loving his new teacher - I have so much more time to work, and some space to work out what I want to do next.

September is a glorious month when the sun shines. Loads of apples on the trees this year, and plenty of blackberries for the forager too.

Beetroot and celery are in season and hence much cheaper to buy. I'm completely addicted to apple, celery, and beet juice for breakfast. I make one for Dave too and this morning it made him sing - not too sure if this is a good thing but it's much better than him being grumpy! I made up a green juice for later at the same time - Plantain, apples, and celery today.

We've all been enjoying green smoothies. Joe's been off them - but he actually asked for one for breakfast the other day so miracles do happen! And Dave read an article a week or so ago about how good hemp seed is for you - and so he can't get enough of them at the moment. He usually things of flax and hemp as things to make longbow strings out of.

Our current favorite green smoothie is orange juice, bananas, some hemp seed, and lots of baby spinach. I use some of the baby spinach fresh, and some frozen to give a cool icecreamy milkshake taste. I also use fresh parsley instead of the baby spinach for a bit of variety.

One day an another miracle will occur and Joe or Dave will make me a green smoothie;)

Feasting on Wild Fruit

Nature is being very bountiful this summer - the old apple trees at the bottom of the garden are groaning under the weight of the apples this year, and the hedges are full of wild plums and blackberries.

Last weekend we were camping in the countryside outside oxford and feasted on wild plums as we walked - delicious.

The first of the blackberries are ripe and juicy - although there are still plenty that are in need of a bit more sun please!

I've had a break from nut milks. When the weathers hot I do like juices and fat-free smoothies, but now it's cooled off again the green smoothies are back.

I'm still finding it difficult to eat lightly in the evenings, and my morning yoga practise is just not happening - on the plus side I've been enjoying doing t'ai chi again:-).

One more week and I'm off to France with Dave and Joe for a fortnight. We usually go camping but this time we're house sitting. 2 weeks of fresh food, yoga, t'ai chi, running, and playing with Dave and Joe.

Lots of Juice

It was brilliant being able to cycle with Joe to school again. I do hate taking the car - although I'm glad we've got one. Out bodies are designed to move, but for the last month, with one thing and another, I've been a lot less active than usual.

Lovely Hot Weather

I bought a £10 electric citrus juicer to make it super easy to have fresh orange juice whenever we want it. It's been a big hit with Joe as he can now make his own orange juice.

Adapting Green Smoothies

I usually love creamy green smoothies made with nut or seed milk. With the warmer weather and sunshine I'm enjoying fat-free green smoothies and juices. I'm currently addicted to watermelon blended up with baby spinach - so quick to make, and so juicy.

Not a good week.

Joe's hip is inflamed again so I am busy worrying about him. It seemed totally better, so I - in hindsight stupidly - agreed he could do volley ball club after school. And then when he came out of school he was running around and jumping with his friends and laughing his head off having a wonderful time. But the next day he couldn't get out of bed. God I felt/feel bad about it. I know he will get better again, he just needs to take it easy and let his body heal, but it's very frustrating for him and for me.

And the food?

I'm loving my juices at the moment - carrot, orange and ginger juice is going down a treat.

As well as eating whole fruit I've been making up fruit salads for all of us - Joe loves them. I chop up whatever fruit I've got around - oranges, grapefruit, apple, banana, pineapple, and sprinkle on frozen raspberries and blueberries. I usually serve a bowl of romaine lettuce along side so we can help ourselves to some greens too.

Do you eat when your stressed?

I'm tending to feel thirsty rather than hungry - hence my love of juices.

But in the evening if I'm stressed I sometimes feel like eating chocolate and escaping into a good DVD. I did this last night - watched "The Devil Wears Prada" and ate half a bar of organic milk chocolate. The film was an enjoyable bit of escapism, but as soon as it stopped I was right back feeling stressed again. And the milk chocolate left a bad taste in my mouth although I did enjoy it at the time.

To sleep perchance to dream

When I eat lightly I have the most vibrant dreams - not always pleasant, but fairly lucid so I can usually alter the dream reality if I don't like what's happening. But if I eat later in the day, and especially if I have a heavy cooked meal I don't remember my dreams at all. Do I still have them?

Eating Lightly

One day I had a healthy active boy, and then the next day he couldn't get out of bed.

One of his hips was causing the pain. He was carried into the Doctors and diagnosed with "irritable hip" - the membrane of the hip joint is inflamed. We were told to let him rest it completely, and take him back in 3 days if he wasn't much better.

It's not known what causes it - but the good new is that in most cases it's better in a couple of weeks and doesn't come back.

The next day it was a bit better, and now and he wants to run again!
He's back at school - under strict instructions to take it easy so no football for a couple of weeks.

Aside from the worry - and the missing work - it was lovely to have him home for a few days. It reminded me of when he was little.

For a few days he living off juices, smoothies, watermelon, and wild Alaskan salmon fish cakes (Neither raw nor vegan but hopefully better than fish fingers). Oh and some cup cakes that his friends brought round!

And how is the quantum eating going?

The warmer weather definitely makes eating raw and lightly much easier. It feels right to eat this way when the sun is hot.

Watermelon is my latest delight. Its high water content make it a fabulous thirst quencher, and I have been eating it, blending it on it's own, and using it instead of orange juice in my smoothie recipes.


I've not had ginger for a month or two now, but the last couple of days the weather has been cooler, and my throat has a tickle in it - so I've added it to the shopping list!

Easter Holidays

It's a weird thing time. It feels like the schools just broke up yesterday, and also like Joe's been on holiday for a month. Joe and his mates take great delight in beating me at football. It certainly helps keep you fit!

Old Habits Return

I returned to my old habits of eating an evening meal with the family over the Easter Holidays - to be sociable more than any other reason. I find it hard to stop once I start doing this. My energy levels have been generally good - lots of running - but I tend to be groggy early on and really miss feeling that fresh early morning feeling.

Although I always eat lots of raw fruit and veg, I've also been eating some wholemeal bread and my eyes are itchy and dry. It's a hayfever/pollen thing and a very good reason for me to not have any more.

Creating New Habits and Returning to Quantum Eating

So I'm going to return to juice for dinner this week, and hopefully I'll be up early again bright eyed and fill of the joys of spring!