Paleo?  Whole 30?  Primal? 

Low Carb?  AIP (Auto Immune Protocol)?

I'm just trying to figure out what works best for my body!

There are a lot of websites with great information and recipes.  I created this page as a place for me to store them -- and share them!



DIY Ingredients:

--Make your own coconut milk  (Save the coconut for make flour!)   
          http://holisticallyengineered.com/2014/03/how-to-make-coconut-milk.html
               Article plus VIDEO          


--Make your own coconut flour  (Made from leftover coconut after making milk!)   
          http://holisticallyengineered.com/2014/03/how-to-make-coconut-flour.html
                 Article plus VIDEO


RECIPES...

Desserts:


      -- Paleo Brownies made with Sweet Potatoes      
             http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/chocolate-brownies-that-blew-me-away/

      -- Paleo PopTarts  http://predominantlypaleo.com/paleo-pop-tarts-aipnut-freeegg-free/


GREAT websites with information.     LIKE them on FaceBook for a lot of updates and recipes!

Paleo -- with some Whole 30 recipes

--   Eat Drink Paleo  http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/ 
--   Holistically Engineered:  http://holisticallyengineered.com/
--   The Paleo Mom   http://www.thepaleomom.com/
--   Predominantly Paleo  http://predominantlypaleo.com/
-- Peace, Love and Real Food  http://peaceloveandrealfood.com
-- Civilized Caveman Cooking  http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/
-- Nom Nom Paleo  http://nomnompaleo.com
--

 Whole 30

-- Whole 30   Whole30.com
-- Whole 9     Whole9Life.com

-- 30 days of Whole 30 recipes  http://nomnompaleo.com/post/42057515329/the-round-up-30-days-of-whole30-recipes


Favorite Foods:

-- Crack Nut Butter

More Paleo Sites, as lifted from Nom Nom Paleo

Robb Wolf http://robbwolf.com/
Drs. Eades http://www.proteinpower.com
Whole9 http://whole9life.com/
Everyday Paleo http://everydaypaleo.com/
Animal Pharm http://www.drbganimalpharm.blogspot.com/
Balanced Bites http://www.balancedbites.com/
Food Lovers’ Primal Palate http://www.primal-palate.com/
The Clothes Make The Girl http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/
The Fit Daffy http://fitdaffy.blogspot.com/
Jen’s Gone Paleo http://jensgonepaleo.blogspot.com/
The Lazy Caveman http://www.thelazycaveman.com/
Cave Girl Eats http://cavegirleats.com/
Paleo Comfort Foods http://paleocomfortfoods.com/
Radiance Nutrition http://radiancenutrition.com
Ancestralize Me http://ancestralizeme.com/
Primal Toad http://www.primaltoad.com/
Health-Bent http://www.health-bent.com/
Mark’s Daily Apple http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
Modern Paleo Warfare http://www.modernpaleowarfare.com/
Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations http://www.civilizedcavemancooking.com/
Slim Palate http://slimpalate.com/
Aimee’s Cupcakes http://www.aimeescupcakes.com/
PaleOMG http://paleomg.com/
The Domestic Man http://thedomesticman.com/
Cosmopolitan Primal Girl http://cosmopolitanprimalgirl.wordpress.com/
Holly Would If She Could http://hollywouldifshecould.net/
Hunter-Gatherer http://hunter-gatherer.com/
Paleo Girls http://paleogirls.com/
Cavemen Gourmet http://cavemengourmet.com
The Cave Girl Dish http://www.thecavegirldish.com/
The Healthy Skeptic http://thehealthyskeptic.org/
Swiss Paleo http://swisspaleo.com/
The Paleo Table http://thepaleotable.com/
Stuff I Cook For My Husband http://stuffimakemyhusband.blogspot.com/
Paleo Diet Lifestyle http://paleodietlifestyle.com/
My Paleo Life http://www.mypaleolife.com/
Cave Man Bistro http://www.cavemanbistro.com/
Paleo Betty http://paleobetty.com/
Jan’s Sushi Bar http://www.janssushibar.com/
PALEOdISH http://paleodish.com/
Primal Power http://primalgirl.wordpress.com/
Three Squares http://rikishore.com/
Against All Grain http://www.againstallgrain.com/
Multiply Delicious http://www.multiplydelicious.com/
Ancestral Chef http://ancestralchef.com/

One year later... One year wiser??

It's been about a year since I started this blog and tried for a 60 day juice fast.   Looking back, here are some of the lessons I've learned:

• Energy.  After seeing nutrition so clearly (while juicing), that same clarity quickly became muttled up.  A few bites of this or that processed junk would increase to a few pieces, then to a few meals.  Quicker than I can believe, I was back to my very poor food choice habits.
•   Plan: Focus on food as energy.  Experience taught me: 

                                -   Juicing and healthy eating gave me boatloads of energy.
                                -   Junkfood makes me lethargic.

• Timing:  Being busy, for me, isn't just an excuse -- it's a fact of life.  While I thought I was super busy a year ago, I've become even busier since then.  I create my own reality, so "busy" is a choice -- and I need to keep my work schedule and social life in check.  Besides, there's no time like the present.  If I wait till I'm not busy, I'll most certainly be dead! 

             Plan:  ORGANIZE, simplify, and hire out those tasks that I can't plan on 
             completing timely

• Rigidity vs. Flexibility.  I tried to stick to the ReBoot plan 100% -- with no variances except for some pre-bottled juices (BoltHouse and V8).  Easily bored, I ended up consuming way too few calories near the end.  It basically became a super low calorie diet -- which led to a large amount of hair loss about 6 months later.     ((One point to note-- even though my calorie consumption was super, super low--- I STILL had plenty of energy! )))

                Plan: Modify the ReBoot to work with my current schedule and lifestyle. 

• Most of the time, I will be juicing.  However, during most of June I'll be traveling for work and staying out of town. 
• During my travels, we'll be taking clients out to lunch and having dinner meetings.  As such, I will be consuming some "real" foods.  Having issues with colitis (mentioned in earlier posts), I'm limited to the amount of salads and roughage I can eat.  
•  I'll take it day by day and drink the jucies as much as possible -- but, again, I didn't want to wait for "better" timing.  I'm going to make it work for me -- regardless of where I am.

• Simplicity is essential to making this work again.  The V8 (warmed as soup) and Bolthouse (juice only- not smoothies) helped me get through before and it will again.

                 Plan:  Juice cubes in the MagicBullet and "Naked" juice in the hotel.

• I've already juiced my oranges, strawberries, apples and blueberries.  After freezing them in ice cube trays I bagged them up.  (I have yet to juice/freeze the veggies)  My MagicBullet is packed in my luggage and I've confirmed that the hotel (for June) will have a fridge/freezer.  I can buy bottled juices, a few at a time, and keep in the hotel, too.
• The hotel  "bistro" sells "Naked" fruit juices, so I can always grab a quick bottle if I need to.

• Desire.  I just want to look and feel as good as I looked and felt when I was juicing before.  The energy is incredible and the overall "good feeling" can't be beat!

• Plan:  Regardless of everything else going on in my life, I just want to be happy and feel good.  This modified-ReBoot can get me there!

Days 42 to 47.... And so it ends...

Well... I gave it my best shot.  I really wanted to make it to 60 days, but my body just rejected the juices.

Anything that I drank (juice or water) would not stay in my system for more than a few minutes.

As a result, over the course of about a week, I only consumed about 400 calories.  Surprisingly, I was just as energetic without calories as I was with! 

I believe in "listening to your body"... and mine was telling me to stop.   So I did.

I have to say, I really enjoyed the fast.  I lost 37 pounds and felt very good.  I'll definitely do it again -- but for 10 days at a time instead of 60.

I've been back to "normal" eating for not quite a week -- and I have no interest at all in junk food or processed food.

We went to a birthday party last weekend and we brought a full sized sheet cake that we made.  It was half chocolate with bavarian filling and the other half vanilla with lemon.  I touched none of it. 

In fact, I didn't touch the chips, pretzels, deli meats or any other "unhealthy" items.  I did, however, enjoy the carrots, broccoli and cerely sticks dipped in sour cream.

As for this blog, I think I'll continue it.  Instead of focusing on juicing, I'll continue the "clean / healthy eating" journey that I'm now on. 

Good luck everyone!

Days 34 to 41: Sooo ready to "eat"!

Today is one of those good days and bad days.  I'm still very glad that I'm able to "stick with it", but at the same time, I can't wait to start eating again.

I'm becoming food obsessed.  Tivo is my best friend, as I record tons of food shows on both Food Network and the Cooking Channel.  However, I do see things a lot differently.

I have no interest in anything fried or anything sweet.  I simply want fresh and healthy.  I may have even found a local vendor for home raised and grass fed chickens!  (Can't wait to try it!)

Frank is eating much better, too.  His dinner last night was cukes, tomatoes and onions mixed with a home made vinagairette and fresh mozzarella.  It was his first time eathing fresh mozz and he loved it!   Truth be told, it doesn't appear hard to make, so I ordered a kit.  http://www.cheesemaking.com/

                               ------------ Cleaning the Juicer ----------------
After I finish using the juicer, I pour my drink over ice to chill then immediately clean the juicer.  Here's the cleaning process:

All the pieces that have to be washed.

The filter thing is the hardest to wash.

 Spray well to loose food particles...

....and scrub with included brush.

Hope you all are going well!

Days 24 to 33: Thanks for the inspiration Kristin and David!

I haven't posted anything in a while-- mostly because I thought it was just my mom reading the blog.

However, tonight I was surprised to see that I had two comments on my posts.  (I'm totally new to this blogging thing!)

Thank you Kristin and David for your encouragement! 

I had been substituting Bolthouse drinks and V8 juice for part of my "juicing".  But you're right, Kristin.  They just aren't the same as running fresh fruits and veggies through the machine.  And to be honest -- I got easily bored with them.

Yesterday I re-watched the movie with my 26 years old daughter (Kristas).  She is inspired and is going to "Join The Reboot".  Instead of a 60 day fast like me, she is planning to go with the 5-5-5 plan.

Here's part of an email that she recently sent to me:

 " I don't mean for this to come out wrong....its almost a compliment wrapped in an insult........but hearing my MOM was 9LBs away from MY weight was a HUGE wakeup call :(
I mean, you were on prednisone etc...plus age (no offense) and had problems losing............to see it finally work n MELT off? That was the exact point it clicked and I  was like I HAVE to do this..."

I love that kid!  (Obviously she doesn't read my blog. She hates it when I call her "kid"!

I prefer not to list my weight, but I will tell you that since I started 33 days ago, I have lost 28 pounds.  I could never imagined it would come off so fast.

I'll be honest, though--- I think a good part of it is my total disinterest in "food".  I have no appetite -- which is a first for me!  And I am back to juicing all of my meals again.

I've heard of people that "forgot to eat".  I never understood that before, but now I do.

Over the last 33 days, I've had some revelations about food (past and future).  I'll share them on my next blog.

For those of you on the same journey as I am -- BEST of LUCK and stick with it.  Every time I thought about stopping it was because a food looked or sounded good.  I would tell myself that if I still wanted it as strongly in 24 hours, then I could stop. 

So far, I'm finding that sticking with the plan far out weighs any food.  Besides, I can always have the desired food after I reach my goal -- if I still want it, that is!

Lastly-- here's the blog that inspired ME!   She kept much better records than I ever could!

http://www.challenge-myself.com/2010/03/thinking-juice-fast.html


Good luck!

Days 14 - 23 Still going -- but maybe not as strong!

 I started this blog and thought I'd document everything I ate.  Unfortunately, I'm not the disciplined!  I didn't keep logs like I had planned.

So... instead.... I just figured I'd write about the jouney of the 60 day juice fast.

Considering,  I've eaten food my entire life, it's not that the fast is hard to do, but it is a MENTAL challenge.  It  just doesn't feel normal.

Now that I'm at day 23, I just feel "bored" with it.  The one thing that keeps me moving forward is the weight loss. 

So far, I'm down 21 pounds.  I don't see/feel it in all of my clothes, but I see it in some of them. 

Whenever I feel like giving in, I think of the 21 pounds lost AND the many, many more pounds that I have to go. 

I really want to win this "mental war" within myself and be able to say that I stuck --100% -- to the 60 day juice fast.

P.S. -- Thanks for following me, Mom!  I appreciate the support!

Days 10-13 Going strong!

Well, I haven't tracked the food as well as I should have, so I don't have specifics. 

In general, I mostly have hot V8 for lunch and dinner.  In the morning and for snacks, I have a Bolthouse juice --mostly because I bought a bunch I wanted to try.

The weight loss has slowed down to a crawl.  If I had to guess, I'd say I need to get my butt back to juicing like I originally planned!