I just ate a handful of vegan chocolate chips that I really didn't want. Why? you may ask. Because I am "doing" a cleanse. Or trying to do a cleanse. Or I guess I am doing a bastardized version of Dr. Schulze's liver cleanse. Ahhh cleansing. Day 2.
I was going to write this blog today and then my mom just called and told me to check out the New York Times-
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/fashion/28Cleanse.html?pagewanted=1
Good timing. I am not alone.
The best line- "The next three days could be summed up thus: 1. I need food. 2. Hey, this isn’t bad! 3. Kill me now".
I was talking with my yoga students about this this morning. I confuse myself. Whats new?
My diet by most standards is supremely healthy. I am mostly a raw vegan, I juice daily, I practice and teach yoga, I believe in and do colonics when I can, don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs. So you'd think I would be able to handle a measly little cleanse for a few days. I always think that I can too, and then the harsh reality sets in. There is something about a "cleanse", meaning no food just juices and potions and tinctures, that turns me into a fiesty 12 year old. "I am NOT gonna do that! No way. I need my coffee". The funny part is that most days I mostly do a juice fast anyway without even thinking about it. Forego my 1 cup of organic coffee with coconut milk creamer b/c I am just not in the mood. But oh no, a cleanse tells me not to do something and I MUST HAVE IT!
Reverse psychology 101.
Yoga is such an amazing practice b/c you can learn how to change your ways but also accept the ones that are truly tough to change or maybe don't really make that big a difference anyway. Even though there are many things in myself that I would like to change or somehow convince myself that I have changed (trying a cleanse once again)...there are also ones that as I get older and more comfortable in my own skin, I have to learn to just...ACCEPT.
When I tough love myself I see that I will always be the kind of girl who cuts her own bangs, I know this is bad and risky and I have the bangs to prove it, but its always gonna happen. I am not driving across town for a bang trim. Not gonna happen. Ever.
I will always be the kind of girl who pops her zits and squeezes pores within an inch of their life. I know its horrendous, have the scars to prove it. Not gonna change. Ever.
I will always be the kind of girl who orders food a la Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally", with things on the side, things added, and with hot sauce. Its who I am . Not gonna change. Ever.
I am okay with these things because although they may be annoying to those around me, they don't really do any harm. Its who I am. And thank Buddha my husband loves me regardless and is there to help with damage control. He looks after my food needs when we go out to restaurants, hands me alcohol soaked cotton balls post-pick and thinks my bangs are cute.
The funny thing is, is that I only started this damn cleanse to be a supportive partner to my husband who is doing it. He is a rockstar and I am a mess. And it's not even that big a deal. He is literally doing everything to the letter, and I am handfuls into chocolate chips and on my second cup of coffee (although, in my own defense I have been sleeping horribly due to my dog keeping me up at all hours of the night, but that is another blog. I am cracked out).
Even last night after a delicious salad (before the 3 day juice fast started) at Real Food Daily, my husband very sweetly said that I didn't need to do this with him. I was like "wait, what? I want to be supportive. I am doing this. It will be fun". And he said, "well, I don't want to have to deal with you freaking out everyday because you need food". Well, obviously I was outraged. This was A) very offensive and B) very true.
Oh great so now I am the handicap. Why are partners so annoyingly right on about certain things...? I find it amazing how so many men that I know who eat total S*&t! can do the master cleanse for 10 days without batting an eye, and I cannot even last 1 day. Interesting.
So this morning, I dragged myself out of bed cursing my beloved pooch for barking all night, and made my hubs a big bottle of green juice to take to work, along with his bag of powdered greens, tinctures and glass jars. I decided that I just need to do this on my own terms. Add more to my health instead of taking away from it (sanity). So I am drinking my tinctures and teas and juices but also easing up from trying to do it "right" or even that well. Because the truth is, a little cleanse is just a jump off point for most. It is a way to reset your buttons and body. It is a great start, but it is just a start. True cleansing comes from weeks, months, years, decades on a healthy path.
So dear lovelies, be gentle with yourself, take baby steps and be happy. Because you are what you eat, but you are also the way in which you eat.
Peace and green juice,
xoxoxox McLean
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Juicy Details
Okay, so that was my first blog. Didn't even think anyone would read it! Thanks friends, I love you ;)
Here is some more info re: juicing.
What I have is this: The Breville Juice Fountain - JE95XL
http://www.amazon.com/Breville-JE95XL-Two-Speed-Juice-Fountain/dp/B0001IT0IY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1288143819&sr=8-5
You can google it and there are great deals on Amazon.com. I got one for $140 and one refurbished but unused for $90. The beauty of these babies are that they are so easy to use, therefore YOU WILL USE IT.
You can put entire apples, cucs, lemons in it. No time wasted cutting them into tiny bits.
High end juicers run upwards of $500 and will last forever, this probably will not last that long, but you got at least a few good years. It is so worth it. In LA any self-respecting fresh juice costs between $8-$10 for 16 oz. but by juicing at home you can drink large amounts for much cheaper. I generally drink 1-2 liters a day.
Now let me warn you about something. Organic produce ain't cheap!!
BUT think of all the money you have wasted and continue to waste on B.S. products and supplements that promise you things that they do not have the power to deliver....I know its kind of sickening.....
Think of it as an investment in your health. This is not just a rationalization (although I am scarily good at coming up with them), it is true.
Tips:
The best time to juice is on an empty or close to empty tummy. That way the juice does not have to compete with the food that is being broken down. It is drunk and pretty immediately absorbed into the body. Wait at least 30 min-1 hr. before eating or drinking anything substantial.
Ex: Wake up, have a cup of tea of coffee if you do that, wait 30 min, drink at least 16 oz. or more of juice, wait 30 min- 1 hr., eat or drink more. Then if you want more in the afternoon have it in between meals. The best time to drink the juice made from a Breville is less than 15 min. after juicing. Other juicers work differently, but with the Breville you want to make it and drink it while the enzymes are fresh.
Use a little plastic bag that the veggies come in as the liner of your waste can. That way you just pull it out and dump all of your pulp in the trash can. Or if you have a compost you are in luck!!
What to Juice?
You can juice almost every veggie and fruit. My main stay is the "Green Lemonade" created by Natalia Rose. But I change the amounts and kinds of produce depending on my mood and what I have.
ORGANIC PRODUCE!!!!!!!!
My Basic Recipe: makes about 1-1.5 liter
1-2 head romaine lettuce
1-2 bunch celery (whole bunch not a stalk)
2-4 cucumbers
3-4 lemons
2-4 fuji apples (sometimes I omit if I want a saltier juice)
a few stalks of kale (optional)
-If I want a salty juice, I do more celery and no apple. Add cayenne and bragg's amino acids to taste and some tomatoes. Kid of like a fresh V-8.
- If you like sweet juice, add more apples, less green and some stevia for added sweetness.
-tons of juice recipes online.
Hope this was helpful. Thank you for reading and your questions.
Peace and green juice xoxoxox,
McLean
Here is some more info re: juicing.
What I have is this: The Breville Juice Fountain - JE95XL
http://www.amazon.com/Breville-JE95XL-Two-Speed-Juice-Fountain/dp/B0001IT0IY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1288143819&sr=8-5
You can google it and there are great deals on Amazon.com. I got one for $140 and one refurbished but unused for $90. The beauty of these babies are that they are so easy to use, therefore YOU WILL USE IT.
You can put entire apples, cucs, lemons in it. No time wasted cutting them into tiny bits.
High end juicers run upwards of $500 and will last forever, this probably will not last that long, but you got at least a few good years. It is so worth it. In LA any self-respecting fresh juice costs between $8-$10 for 16 oz. but by juicing at home you can drink large amounts for much cheaper. I generally drink 1-2 liters a day.
Now let me warn you about something. Organic produce ain't cheap!!
BUT think of all the money you have wasted and continue to waste on B.S. products and supplements that promise you things that they do not have the power to deliver....I know its kind of sickening.....
Think of it as an investment in your health. This is not just a rationalization (although I am scarily good at coming up with them), it is true.
Tips:
The best time to juice is on an empty or close to empty tummy. That way the juice does not have to compete with the food that is being broken down. It is drunk and pretty immediately absorbed into the body. Wait at least 30 min-1 hr. before eating or drinking anything substantial.
Ex: Wake up, have a cup of tea of coffee if you do that, wait 30 min, drink at least 16 oz. or more of juice, wait 30 min- 1 hr., eat or drink more. Then if you want more in the afternoon have it in between meals. The best time to drink the juice made from a Breville is less than 15 min. after juicing. Other juicers work differently, but with the Breville you want to make it and drink it while the enzymes are fresh.
Use a little plastic bag that the veggies come in as the liner of your waste can. That way you just pull it out and dump all of your pulp in the trash can. Or if you have a compost you are in luck!!
What to Juice?
You can juice almost every veggie and fruit. My main stay is the "Green Lemonade" created by Natalia Rose. But I change the amounts and kinds of produce depending on my mood and what I have.
ORGANIC PRODUCE!!!!!!!!
My Basic Recipe: makes about 1-1.5 liter
1-2 head romaine lettuce
1-2 bunch celery (whole bunch not a stalk)
2-4 cucumbers
3-4 lemons
2-4 fuji apples (sometimes I omit if I want a saltier juice)
a few stalks of kale (optional)
-If I want a salty juice, I do more celery and no apple. Add cayenne and bragg's amino acids to taste and some tomatoes. Kid of like a fresh V-8.
- If you like sweet juice, add more apples, less green and some stevia for added sweetness.
-tons of juice recipes online.
Hope this was helpful. Thank you for reading and your questions.
Peace and green juice xoxoxox,
McLean
Green Juice- To the Rescue
I know that juicing can seem like a time consuming and daunting task, believe me, I put it off until I no longer had an excuse. I was doing mostly raw, sometimes 100% raw on and off for about 2 years (on the raw path a total of 5 years) before I committed to juicing (I am stubborn and have commitment issues). My energy levels were blahsville for a raw fooder, and I couldn't exactly figure out why. Upon deeper inspection, I realized that I was eating too many nuts and raw fancy foods such as granola and flax crackers that were sitting in my belly and not going anywhere! I was not eating a lot, but what I was eating, was not properly digesting.
I pulled out my Natalia Rose books and then and there decided I had to start totally walking the talk. Without fresh green juice, my diet, outlook and body were suffering. I bought the Breville Fountain Juicer (LOVE and highly recommend) and I have mostly juiced everyday since. I have gotten my mom, husband and many friends into juicing b/c they saw how great it made me feel. Soaring energy, clear skin, white eyeballs, and body streamlining.
The Breville is super cheap for a juicer and has a hardcore motor. Easy to use and the major plus, it is easy to clean!! I even bought one for my mom one because they are so reasonable. It's the perfect gift to give, something that someone may not buy for themselves, and it is a gift of true love as it gives true health. It makes all the difference in your health. If you just add green juice to your daily life, the changes alone would astonish you. Mainly, the energy!! And its real deal energy, not caffeine and sugar highs.
Even if you are not into the raw food lifestyle and not interested in ever going down that path, juicing is the number one thing that I recommend for anyone who is interested in radiant health. If you have a chronic disease such as cancer, liver or kidney disease, etc. you have no excuse. YOU MUST JUICE. Daily juicing is also great for pre-pregnancy body prep and while pregnant as you your body literally gets flooded with pure raw enzymes and nutrition. It will give you and your baby more nutrition than from eating alone or any vitamin out there.
Happy Juicing!!!
In Health xoxoxo, McLean
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