Say AHHHH! for Master Cleanse Day 4

Open up. Look at your tongue.

This is what me and mom have been doing all day to see how much we’re detoxifying. We’re getting a little ridiculous.

“My breath smelled awful all day.”
“Oooooh, lucky, that means you’re burning keytones!”

When your body is detoxifying, your tongue gets a light white fuzz. Altmedicine.com says

“In Ayurveda, tongue coating is called “ama” and reflects metabolic debris. Tongue scrapers can be purchased in a drug store or health food store for a few dollars. They are an effective way of removing the thick coating and ama toxins.”

(It also mentions “Lemon is a traditional liver cleanser that stimulates the release of digestive juices.” SOOO cool the main ingredients in my lemonade is totally–well…yeah…)

Today my tongue has ranged from average-looking to noticeably detoxed. Mom’s looks a bit pinker, I wonder what’s going on with her? Both of us, either way, have felt great day 4. Mom got the promised super-surge of energy, while I thought not. Then again, I had a bright and sunny morning, woke up alert a few minutes before my alarm rang, and rocked the day just as hard as when I have a cup of coffee and multiple ginsengs…Hey, maybe that is a surge of energy! Wow, running on clean energy. I feel like much unlike a coal factory right now.

So woohoo! Day 4, and here’s to an awesome day 5!—upon which, by the way, I will reveal the recently planned Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious mid-cleanse treat that is going to get me and mom over hump day. Hasta mañana!

Raw on the Road: Houston

So, against all odds I finally get my parents on a raw food regimen and what’s the first thing I do?

Go on a roadtrip, leaving them to fend for themselves in the raw food world with nothing but my promises I’ll stick with the plan while I’m out cavorting with friends and associates.

So, for the next few days I’ll be reporting back so that my parents know I’m sticking to my side of this raw deal, despite the deliciousness I’ll be facing in Houston and Austin (sorry, Sherman, you may be the focal point of this trip but your cuisine is far from tempting).
And if anyone else is considering going raw, I hope I can pass along some good tips for those with even the busiest of lifestyles.

1st: Raw Food Fam Update

Monday, to amazment, my parents kicked off a week of raw food/fasting. We’re taking it slow to see if they want to a full-on, no-food fast, so for the first few days (or maybe even the whole time) raw fruits, veggies, and nuts is all that’s on the menu. Dad may be fully fasting today–what’s the latest, Babo? Drop me a line!

Mom has been SHOCKED at how good the food is. Her eyes stayed the size of saucers all during dinner Monday night as she enjoyed an asian-inspired medley I prepared without grazing a frying pan.

Raw Recipe: Mango Avocado Boats
This simple and delish meal consisted of a jicama-cauliflower-parsley puree in a boat of long-leaf lettuce with sliced mango and avocado on top. Add a touch of sesame oil and a raw asian-style dressing and you don’t even notice it’s not cooked! Really tasty. I was pretty proud, since I kind of made it up on the spot. Cooking raw-or preparing, I suppose I should say-allows for lot of creativity in the kitchen.

Dad is a traditional kind of guy and for him the experimental raw food is just that-an experiment. He’d rather go for a hearty deli meat sandwhich on white bread, but he’s enjoying seeing how his energy levels and health stats have been improving since he’s been eating raw. I can’t wait to ear back about how his fast goes.

Raw on the Road: Houston

Thankfully, the first person I’m visiting on this expedition is a glowing example of human health and vitality. Here, my co-conspirator in optimum being, RAF (Renay Aaron Flores) starts our morning off with a full-bodied Kale, Dandilion Greens, Cantalope and Carrot Green Smoothie.

Step 1: Juicing carrot and cantalope

Step 2: Use a food processor or blender to add greens to juice

Step 3: Start your day it a robust riot of flavor

Aaron has described Green Smoothies as “The EASIEST habit to pick up” that also totally improves “everything else about your day.” Coming from a marathon-running, local-produce-loving beacon of supreme nutrition, that’s saying a lot.

I really couldn’t have started this trip out with a better influence. The first thing we did when I arrived among the glass skyscrapers of Houston was do a prophylactic grocery shop at Hubbel & Hudson, a premiere grocery store with a drool-worthy produce section. You’ll see just what we bought as my menu unfolds over the next few days as my raw roadtrip continues. Next stop: Sherman.

30 Dates with my Liver #29: Sleeping In

After a week of waking up in the pre-dawn hours to hop on my bike and book it to school, my liver and I luxuriated in a full 10 hours of sleep this morning. By the time we woke up, the morning monster smoothie had become the lunch smoothie. (Well, I cheated. Made it have a yogurt-like consistency with avocado and threw in a couple handfuls of granola and ate it like cereal. Yum!)

Sleep by Salvador Dali

The benefits of sleep cannot be stressed enough. Reducing stress, cancer risk, and inflammation are just a few benefits. All the pros keep telling us how sleep makes us smarter, better looking, and happier. If you’ve had an exhausting week and STILL have a huge to-do list for the weekend, make sure getting a good 8 hours tops it.

Sleeping helps reduce stress, which livers love. Stress is even considered one of the toxins that the liver has to deal with, since it causes gross by-products chemically inside your body as well as externally, like that nasty thing you just said to your boss.

So have a liver-friendly weekend (i.e. red wine and dark beer in moderation!) and get some zzz’s in after you go out!

30 Dates with my Liver #14: Reminiscing 80′s style

The 80′s rocked. I was born then, after all-my liver too. Tonight we took a moment to appreciate the awesomeness of this era.

There was a lot going down in the 80′s. Some not so good, if you have issues with animal testing and strange chemically things in your food. Unfortunately that’s still going on, so watch what you eat!

A lost art in life these days is the PSA- public service announcement. Unfortunately if you say anything that might vaguely implicate that the meat industry/big corporations of not healthy for you stuff, you get slammed with a lawsuit. Think of what happened when Oprah said she’d never have another hamburger. Here’s a few for the good old times…

All classics. Do what they say, y’all.

30 Dates with My Liver #7: Falling in Love All Over Again

You know those moments when you thought you knew everything the one you love, and then you discover something about them that makes you feel like a school girl again?

I felt just that way today when I came across this article, 8 Foods that Fight Fat, on Care2.com. It turns out that the liver is a main site for flushing out the fat in what you eat and burning what you’ve got stored up. Yet another reason to make sure your liver is in tip-top shape-so it can do its job of making you look fabulous.

Liver: Fat Fighter

According to Ann-Louise Gettleman, PhD, CNS,

“One of bile’s other main duties is to help our bodies break down the fats we need and to assimilate fat-soluble vitamins. Without bile, we couldn’t convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, nor could we use calcium. But when our bile becomes overly congested with the toxins it’s trying to filter out, it simply can’t function properly. It becomes thick, viscous and highly inefficient in breaking down fats. The result: You are more likely to gain weight and to have greater difficulty losing it.
Cleansing the liver helps it produce better, more efficient bile. That helps your body flush toxins and break down fat more effectively. It also makes more energy-giving nutrients available to your body and reduces strain on your digestive and immune systems. Your elimination improves, and your colon is relieved of unnecessary burdens. The net effect: You look and feel better, and it becomes far easier for you to achieve and maintain your ideal weight.”

8 Foods to Love Your Liver & Fight Fat:

1) Leafy Greens! (awesome in your morning Green Monster Smoothie!)

2) Beans, beans, the magical fruit

3) Garlic

4) Cayenne

5) Tumeric (A good excuse to eat lots of delish Indian food)

6) Cinnamon (A little goes a long way to metabolize sugar!)

7) Flax seeds and Flax seed oil (also makes your skin look great with Omega-3 fatty acids)

8 ) Onions

Check out the original articles for more info, or in the meantime, keep these items on your shopping list! Recipes with the above ingredients to come…

30 Dates with my Liver: #3 A Drink a Day

Drinking daily isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of ways to treat your liver well. In fact, many Americans are used to routinely abusing their liver over a night-or week- of overindulging in our 2nd favorite drug (the caffeine in coffee and soda being #1 of course). However, anyone familiar with the French Paradox knows that it’s possible to drink, and drink well, while engaging in an exemplary healthy lifestyle.

The difference lies in the difference between drinking “well” and drinking A LOT, as most of us in the good ole’ US of A tend to want to do. The French Paradox centers on the fact that the French eat tons of rich buttery food, drink red wine by the gallon, and yet still maintain silhouettes worthy of Vogue magazine. The difference between their style of eating and drinking and ours, however, is fundamentally different. Those gallons of wine are consumed over a long period of time, and enjoyed in moderation. In fact, scientist now site resveratrol, a life-lengthening antioxidant found in high levels in red wine, as one of the keys to the health and beauty to many Europeans.
The key is quality over quantity, and in moderate daily doses-as in, a glass or two a day-red wine and it’s heady hit of flavonoids and resveratrol not only give you a pleasant buzz, but extend your years as well.

Beer Drinkers
Not a wine drinker? Not to worry, research has shown that dark beer has a similar dose of flavonoids and, when drunk in moderation, can improve overall health. I think the best thing about this advice is that is doesn’t forbid those who love that crisp calming brew from partaking, just from going overboard. After all, if you’re with the right company, drinking to get drunk shouldn’t be necessary. A few of my favorites:
-Guiness (of course)
-St. Arnold’s Elissa IPA
-Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout

Another plus? Dark beer often has a higher alcohol content.

Not a beer or wine drinker? Some keys to keep in mind to stay kind to your lovely liver:

-AVOID DIET DRINKS LIKE THE PLAGUE.
-Choose juices or soda with citrus (lemon or lime) in your mixed drinks
-Have to have your 7 up or sprite? Ask for a PRESS. Any good bartender knows this is 1/2 soda and 1/2 of the sweet stuff, so you can cut calories and liver toxins in half, if not all the way.
-Stay away from Red Bull and anything else that looks like it could have come out of a nuclear power plant. If you need extra energy, that means that your daily diet is lacking in nutrients and healthy calories, since our bodies are made to give us enough energy to hunt down a mammoth and drag it home to the cave. Before downing that glowing goo, rethink your regular eating habits.

Cheers!

I. Love. Food.

And the fast is officially over with the strike of midnight!

Still, I will be breaking my fast with the most etymologically appropriate breakfast ever.

It’s raw fruits and vegetables for the next 2 days! Maybe that doesn’t sound exciting to you, but you’ve been eating the past how many years straight without a single break?
Even more exciting to me than eating is the idea of seeing how each and every bite I take will feel as the nutrients and calories course all the way down to my capillaries. They say the first food after a fast is the best tasting ever. Technically the fruit and veggies only regimen is still a fast, so I’m even more excited for my first meal on Wednesday.

People make the mistake of thinking I didn’t like the taste of meat since I’m a vegetarian, and that I must not like food since I’m depriving myself for a little while. Rest assured, dear friends, that is not the case. Here are some of the awesome restaurants I’ve been considering patronizing in the coming weeks of FOOD. I’ll be back tomorrow with some plans for my live-to-be-113 mealplan for the next few weeks, but in the meantime, some food for thought:

FOOOOOOOD

Field of Greens is my #1 option for breaking the fast at the moment…rest assured, a review is coming soon. This Houston hot-spot serves veggie friendly food and also caters to a macrobiotic diet, which I don’t know anything about at the moment. From what I’ve heard, however, I need to know more. Macrobiotic comes from Greek roots, meaning “long life.” If the shoe fits the blog…WebMD says it’s an”healthy way of eating that integrates physical, spiritual, and planetary health.” What more could anyone ask for? Of course, I’m basing liking it so far from the delectable-looking plates of food Field of Greens serves up, so I’ll have to investigate further…

The Lunchbox Cafe, where I’ll probably actually break the fast. This place is in downtown historic Galveston, has local food AND art. Can’t lose. I’m super-jazzed about their weekly farmer’s market as well. I had no idea Galveston had fresh local produce! Looking forward to checking it out-I’m really just surprised I haven’t been before!

The Pepper Tree is another one I’ll have to try. It has lots of vegan options. Since I wouldn’t know how to begin to cook something tasty and vegan (and overly-fancy schmancy, as I’m disposed to do), I’d like to try some places that can do it well. This ought to be a good role-model.

Baba Yega is a tasty Houston spot that I just know I’ve tried before but it’s been so long I’m drawing a blank. Definitely have to remedy that, since they apparently are one of the few places you can get Dry Soda, a bubbly beverage I simply must try. I found them before I found Baba Yega’s, and stumbled upon the restaurant while in search of a place I could try a lavender soda with a shot of Frangelico.

Cheers!

11 Health Benefits of Fasting (via Mush’s Blog)

Great summary! Gotta love the Mush!

I found enormous amounts of material when I started looking for the health benefits of fasting. It seemed that every expert in medicine, health and fitness had something to say about the benefits of fasting. But the following piece from Dr. Cinque summarizes it all very well: Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins. Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. … Read More

via Mush's Blog

The Fast Life

Tomorrow, I begin a 5 day fast to super-cleanse my body, invigorate my mind, and center my spirit. Fasting diverts the energy the body usually uses for digestion to clean and restore bodily functions, and I’m excited to see how this is going to effect me, and hopefully contribute to me making it to the big 2100. As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this fast is the kind of body tune-up that oughtta keep me running strong.

Fast Food

I’ve been getting some nay-saying when I share this idea, and I wanted to respond to a few common comments as I begin to keep track of how this fast will play out for the next week.

“Fasting is an unhealthy shock to your system!”
The shock of sudden food deprivation can be unhealthy. To avoid the negative effects, I have been pre-fasting by following a raw fruit and vegetable regimen for the past 2 days. The lower calories intake and simplified digestive process slowly ease the body into a fast. I will post-fast for two days with a fruit and vegetable diet to reintroduce a well-rounded menu without making myself sick.

“Doesn’t fasting kill your kidneys?”
Kidneys are put under more stress than usual because they are filtering all of the toxins that are being released by the body. In the long run, I’m going to say that if the toxins in my body are so bad they’d funk up my kidneys, I’d rather have them out than in. In fact, there even exist some kidney fasts that target healing the kidneys. I’m fasting for holistic well-being, but if it goes well, who knows! Maybe the kidneys are next…

“There are better ways to lose weight.”
I wholeheartedly agree. If weight loss was what I was after, I’d eat a well-balanced vegetarian low-fat and calorie diet and exercise regularly. However, since weight loss is not a goal, but perhaps a symptom of fasting, my conscious is clear of subjecting myself to short-term anorexia to look like an abercrombie model.

My Goals for this Fast:
1) Exercise self-control
2) Connect with my body by keeping track of how it responds to fasting
3) Detoxify and cleanse my body
4) Reset my system so it will be more sensitive to toxic & processed food and drink (and avoid these after fasting!)

Super-Duper Detox
To really cleanse the crap out of me, I’ll be doing the following to cleanse in every which-way I can.
-Lymphatic brushing before daily shower to improve circulation and get that lymph moving!
-Nature’s Secret Ultimate Fasting Cleanse Kit: This guy is giving me confidence that I’m doing this in a healthy way, with a bevy of nutrients and cleansing herbs to help super-scrub the inside of me out, and plenty of fiber to make sure all of the nasty stuff gets washed away.

A few resources:

http://falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm

http://www.gaianstudies.org/articles4.htm

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/is_fasting_healthy

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/fast.htm