My Cleansing Adventure

Well, last week I made it for three days on just vegetable juice and then a couple more with some smoothies thrown in (plus a colonic!). It felt fantastic, especially because I didn't care about food. Food didn't have control of my mind. I also realized that I was afraid to transition back into eating. I knew that I was visiting a friend from college and Valentine's Day was approaching. Both events included dinners at restaurants. I definitely fell off the wagon once again, but I'm realizing that its ok to fall off as long as I don't fall down the rabbit hole.

I've gotten back into creative writing lately and it feels fantastic! I'm so inspired by the fun stories I've been reading. Speaking of which, I'm almost done with "All Together Dead" by Charlaine Harris. Once I've finished this series (one more book to go!), I'll start the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It may sound ambitious, but my dream is to write a series:)


I've been loyal to the gym for the past seven days! It feels great and I think its finally paying off. 30 minutes each day switching between cardio and weights. Sometimes I play squash with my hubs too:) Next weekend is my sister-in-law's baby shower. I can't believe that we're going to have a new baby in our family. Its so exciting!

My three day fast!

I feel clear, calm, and rested. Peaceful even. On Monday I juiced three times (30 oz. the first two times, 15 oz. the last time). My first two juices were a combo of romaine or spinach with cucumber, lemon or ginger, and pear or apple. I ended the day with a tomato, cucumber, garlic, basil, and sea salt juice (which I ate like a soup). On Tuesday and Wednesday I started the day with a pear juice in addition to the three other juices (so yummy!). My juice hero, Kris Carr, guided me on the fast and gave me to salt tip. Sea salt is super important during a fast, keeping our blood pressure at a healthy level and balancing our electrolytes. Read about Kris' fast here.

This morning, I went to the colon hydrotherapy. It made a WORLD of difference. For the past couple days I've been feeling low energy and a little blue. After the colonic I felt mentally clear, upbeat, and focused. I still feel fantastic. I juiced all day and made a smoothie for dinner (spinach, banana, and cacao). I plan to have another smoothie in the morning and then juice all day. I may end up going out for dinner tomorrow night, I plan to stay raw and just have veggies.

The question I've been mulling over lately is, whats next?

Starting Fresh

The biggest news of the day (or decade) is of course the inauguration of our 44th President OBAMA! We took a break from work mid-day to watch the inauguration and I had chills the whole time. What an exciting time to be alive. If 4,000 people could reduce crime in Washington, DC in 1993 through group meditation, think about the effect of millions of people vibrating with hope at the same time and in the same place. What effect will this have across the country?

Now to more trivial matters, like vampire novels and working out at the gym. I'm on to the fifth Sookie Stackhouse novel: Dead as a Doornail. I've stayed true to my exercise commitment (although I have yet to see any results...). Last night, I met with a trainer to get me on track with the circuit and I'm feeling the effects of my early morning workout already. Tomorrow is a cardio day. Much more boring, but at least Sookie will keep me company.

A nice woman at the gym was reading a book from the Twilight series and I had to let her know I was part of the fanclub. She recommended the Outlander series, which looks to be right up my alley. I'm sick of pretending that I have high brow taste in literature. Sure, I love the classics, but a girl just wants to have fun, you know? Anyway, I will be purchasing The Outlander as soon as I've said goodbye to Sookie. I'm building quite a library.

Tomorrow is our office fasting day:) We'll drink juice until dinner and then have a raw meal! Its nice to hit the reset button.

Back in the Saddle

Its been another successful week so far and I feel great! I'm in Woodstock for this week and the next, so I have one of my favorite vegan friends to help me stay motivated! We made a deal last night to ban sugar (no chocolate!), cut down the vino to a glass (or two) a week, be loyal juicers until lunch, and fast until dinner on Wednesdays. Today was a fasting day. Check out KC's blog about the day. It isn't tough if you have someone doing it with you...I know from experience that its more difficult on your own, but you can do it! Plus, its nice to have someone to share the juice making/juicer cleaning duty with.

I've also been going to the gym every morning. It feels fantastic! I am going to kick it up a notch once I meet with a trainer on Monday. One thing I definitly need to do more is STRETCH! Wasn't I a yoga teacher at one point...?

I'm reading the forth book in Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series: Dead to the World. I love it. I am so happy that I've rediscovered how fun and relaxing a good book can be:) I still have three more to read after this and then I'm going to read Stephanie Meyer's newest novel, The Host.

Check out the Freeminer Birds website for some updates! They have two more shows coming up and the new album, Fill the Shelter, will be out soon!

Today's Menu

7am-Water, lemon, stevia
11:00am-Green Juice:
1/2 cucumber
ginger
lemon
lime
3 handfuls of baby greens
celery stalks
stevia
2:00pm-Veggie "Soup":
The following were blended in a food processor and warmed slightly on the stove:
2 tomatoes
2 carrots
1 head of broccoli
cayenne pepper
celtic sea salt
1 clove of ginger
fresh dill
olive oil
water
3:00pm- Green Juice:
1/2 cucumber
ginger
lemon
lime
3 handfuls of baby greens
broccoli stems
stevia
9:00pm-Veggie "Soup":
The following were blended in a food processor and warmed slightly on the stove:
2 tomatoes
2 carrots
1 head of broccoli
cayenne pepper
celtic sea salt
1 clove of ginger
1 juiced lemon
olive oil
water

Lots of herbal tea and filtered water too!

I taught two yoga classes this evening. I felt clear headed, calm, and energetic. Its amazing how much easier it is to feel peaceful when your body is at peace. Its not so fun teaching yoga when you feel bloated and full. I'm very happy that I have integrated this practice into my weekly regimen. Time for my nightly meditation. I've been downloading different guided meditations onto my iPod. Tonight's selection: TBA:)

Time for the weekly fast

Today, I will be joining the CSL crew for a 1-2 day juice fast (feast). Last week's fast was incredible. I felt like I had wiped the slate clean. My cravings were drastically reduced, I even resisted dessert on my husband's birthday (I watched everyone eat hot fudge sundaes)! Friends and family were in Baltimore this past weekend and it was tough sticking to a healthy diet while eating at restaurants for almost every meal. I wasn't perfect, but I managed to eat vegan the entire weekend and properly combine foods most of the time.

Sometimes the only vegetarian option on a menu includes cheese. In the past, I would have probably just eaten the cheese so that I didn't seem fussy. This weekend I realized that its silly to compromise the diet that works best for me just because I think others will judge me. Surprise! The world doesn't revolve around me and it was no big deal to ask for what I wanted! Glad I'm over that now:)

Last week, I was focused on fasting as a "reset" for my body and mind. This week, I feel like its more of a "tweaking" that needs to be done to get me back on track:) I hope that with each week, my fast will be less and less of a major overhaul and more of a time to just give my body and mind a rest.

I've integrated wheat grass powder into my daily regimen and its taking me a little while to get used to the taste. The powder is much more palatable than the real deal, but I think its going to take a few days (or weeks) to love my wheat grass. Adding lemon juice helps! I order it from Debbie at CSL. Its very affordable and Debbie can answer any of your questions about wheat grass (and much more!). I've mentioned her blog in the past-Debbie Does Raw. You can contact her through CSL or her blog.


My husband and I recently renovated a room in our basement that walks out to the backyard. I've designated a little nook in the room as my sacred space:) I have a small table with pictures of Swami Vishnu and Swami Sivananda, a picture of Durga, a candle, incense, and a few other items that symbolize people that I love and things I am thankful for. This morning, I meditated for thirty minutes (listening to Jon Kabat-Zinn's Sitting Meditation on my iPod).

I will always have this safe haven to retreat to when I need clarity and peace. I have made the commitment to meditate for 30 minutes in the morning and evening in my new sacred space. It only took a few minutes to arrange and it is so powerful! I'll be checking in to let you know how this new space has effected my meditation practice and my everyday life. Reading Deepak Chopra's Seven Spritual Laws of Success, Wayne Dyer's Manifest Your Destiny, and being involved with the Manifesting and Yoga groups at CSL has given me the support and encouragement to make these steps. I am happy and grateful that these things have come into my life.

Fasting, Day 2

Good Morning!

I feel fantastic today:) Last night was pretty sweaty, but I assume that this is a sign that my body is detoxing. I had a cup of tea before bed and I fell asleep easily (no hunger). I had very vivid dreams last night, which weren't pleasant, but I'm not going to analyze it. This morning I got up at 6am to teach yoga. I went through my regular morning routine and had a big glass of water with lemon juice. I took a cup of Fasting Yogi Tea with me to the studio. I was pretty hungry when I got back home, but I went on a walk with my husband before juicing:)

This morning's juice included:
6 stalks celery
1 lemon
1 lime
3 big handfuls of greens
1/2 cucumber
1 inch ginger
Coconut water
Stevia

I just finished my juice and I feel content, alert, and positive. Terri (crazy sexy life coach) was a guest blogger at Kris Carr's blog this morning. She wrote about the power and benefits of meditation. The post is packed with tips, motivation, and wisdom. It has inspired me to kick my meditation practice up a notch. I am going to buy a timer today so that I can meditate peacefully without looking up every few minutes at the clock!

I am thinking about breaking my fast today, but we shall see!

xoxo,
Sundari

Fasting Part III

After my last post, I had another cup of tea and took some coconut water mixed with fresh lime juice on the road. It wasn't until 6 o'clock that I became hungry and drinking water helped to calm my stomach until I got home at 9. I taught two yoga classes and felt high in energy and had a clear mind the whole time. Right now, I'm sipping 20 oz. of juice:)


My Second Juice of the Day:
3 Carrots
2 big handfuls of Baby Greens
3 Broccoli Stalks
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 inch of Ginger

I didn't have to add Stevia because the carrots and broccoli add sweetness:) The ginger makes the juice nice and spicy! I am very pleased with this juice and I'm glad that I used some different veggies. Its nice to branch out! I feel very calm. I don't know if I will break the fast tomorrow, I'll just see how I feel.

xo,
Sundari

Fasting Part II: Blended Soup!

I got hungry mid-afternoon and decided to try my first Blended Soup. Zero cooking involved because heating food over 118 degrees destroys enzymes. Here is what I threw into the food processor (my substitute for a Vita Mix):

1 Avocado
3 stalks celery
1/2 Cucumber
1 Carrot
2 handfuls of Baby Greens
A few shakes of Celtic Sea Salt
1 Squeezed Lemon

The lemon and salt helps to make the soup much more appetizing. I did heat the soup minimally to take the chill out, but I made sure that it was only luke warm:) Next time, I am going to add garlic and cayenne. It's three o'clock and I feel great!

Adventures in Fasting, Coconut Water, and Stevia

There has been a lot of discussion about fasting at the CSL forum and Kris Carr's Blog. These resources have come at the perfect time (as they always do). As I've integrated more healthy eating habits into my life, the unhealthy ones have naturally become more apparent. My mind and body are more connected, which makes me more sensitive to foods that are energy depleting and toxic.

During the weekends, I often fall off the bandwagon and eat refined sugars and grains. The following day I feel down in the dumps and tired. In addition, I crave these foods more, which makes me feel worse and encourages this unhealthy cycle. These foods also make me feel bloated and uncomfortable. There are many excuses that I could make for choosing these foods, but the bottom line is that I am responsible for my health and happiness.

I'm hitting the reset button today, in hopes that I can reduce my cravings and boost my energy. So far, I've had a big glass of water with lemon, a cup of tea, and green juice. I've eliminated apples from my green juice because of the sugar content and as Kris Carr wrote in the comment section of her blog, "fruit cleanses faster than veggies so you may experience more detox effects with fruit".

Today's Green Juice:
2 large handfuls of Baby Greens
6 Stalks of Celery
1/2 Cucumber
1/4 inch Ginger
1 Lemon
1 Lime
Coconut Water (O.N.E. brand)
1 packet of Stevia (an herb-very sweet!)

I was afraid that I would dislike the juice without the apple, but I can't tell the difference:) I feel great so far today. If you haven't tried Stevia as a sugar substitute, I highly recommend it! Also, O.N.E. Coconut Water can be found at Whole Foods, in case you don't feel like cutting open a coconut yourself. Here is some info on the benefits of Coconut Water. Here is some information on Stevia in case your are curious.

Kris Carr's Advice On Fasting...

I've wanted to begin fasting once per week since I learned that it was a beneficial break for your digestive system and the rest of your body. Kris Carr wrote a fantastic post at her blog today that outlines her approach to fasting. There are many different fasting practices, but this is the one that I recommend:) I will be fasting on Friday and I'll let you know how it goes!