DAY 28: THE END!!!!

First, I might need to explain why I chose the picture above...BECAUSE I CAN WEAR DEODORANT NOW!!! The going without deodorant is not meant for me. When I wasn't taking the fenugreek seed, my armpits didn't smell like maple syrup anymore and needed some help. I found me a nice all natural deodorant which seems to work well. (Spurling, I know you are proud! lol)


Being that today is the last day of the cleanse, I want to thank all of you who have followed me throughout this journey. It has been a true battle and thanks for all of your support. I needed it!!


I am very glad that I did this. Thanks Denae for introducing me to the book, Soak Your Nuts and thanks David for financially supporting the journey even though you thought I was crazy most of the time. lol 


Because of the cleanse, I have energy, I don't suffer from "the itis", I have regular bowel movements that FLOAT (LOL), my skin is more moisturized, my thoughts are clearer, my belly is smaller, and my confidence is higher. There was a personal issue that I dealt with before the cleanse that is now under control. I must say that the fact that this issue was under control during the cleanse means a lot to me and if you are struggling with anything physical, I strongly encourage you to change what you put in your mouth on a day to day basis.


Life after the cleanse...


Before starting the cleanse, I knew that I had a mild allergy to dairy products. Now that I know how my body feels without having to digest dairy products, I am looking to stay away from dairy. I will try to remain vegan. My goal is to be 60% raw vegan and 40% cooked vegan. I want to ingest mostly alkaline foods, if possible. I will also continue some of the supplements that I can take indefinitely. For example, Kamut water, digestive enzymes, Green Meal Shake, Spirulina (every once in while, yuck!), and the chlorella tablets. I want my body to be in a daily mild constant detox. I've added Hemp protein to my morning shake and I will definitely continue with the flax oil and coconut oil. 


This cleanse has changed my life and my priorities. I've learned to put my health first. I thought it was a priority before but it wasn't. I've learned a way to nourish my body that works for me. I want to say that I don't believe that this cleanse is for everyone but I believe it is your responsibility to find what eating-style works for you. For those of you who are struggling with weight problems, high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or simply laziness, I charge you to change your life. If you want to live healthy, YOU CAN! CHANGE YOUR FOOD, CHANGE YOUR LIFE.


PEACE & HEALTHINESS 

Day 25: Yum Yum

Sorry guys. I forgot to take a picture of my lunch/dinner today. It was so AMAZING that I forgot to let you in on it. I think I found my favorite dish at One Lucky Duck http://oneluckyduck.com/takeaway/ . Below is what's in it. *GF = Gluten Free

zucchini and tomato lasagna – 19

sun-dried tomato sauce, pistachio basil pesto, pumpkinseed macadamia ricotta GF

DAY 19-24: The Nonexistent Fast and the rest

Today is the beginning of my 3 day fast. I am no where near the mental state I need to be in to make it through but I will definitely try my darndest. However all I can think about is what I want to eat! During the fast I can only consume: Oxykare water, Green Kamut water, Fresh vegetable juice (that I juice with no fruit), Rejuvelac and  Coconut water.  Then there are added supplements during the fast such as systemic enzymes and oil or oregano. The oil of oregano is so spicy, I felt like I was breathing fire. Ive definitely lost weight during the cleanse. Unfortunately, I didn't weigh myself to find out how much. Sorry, it wasn't a priority of mine. I've also lost some belly fat, which was definitely a priority of mine. I'm still waiting to lose more. We'll see how it goes.

...Days later

I know I said that I would try to post everyday last week. FAILED!! In fact, I think I only posted one time. tsk tsk tsk Things have been rough! Mentally. The 3 day fast was pretty much nonexistent. I had mental block with the fasting. I was so hungry, dizzy, and weak. I ate as little as I could but only to satisfaction. After the fast, I started craving cooked food. I wasn't necessarily craving meat or eggs or any dairy products. I just wanted something HOT!!! This went on for days and those days I had those cravings, I snacked all day. Finally last night, I gave in and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed my miso soup and avocado rolls! Still vegan but cooked. Now, today I feel good and refreshed. I'm back eating raw. I only have a few more days and have been thinking about what I want my eating habits to be like from now on. I will blog about that later.

I want to give a shout out to Taz, who inspired me to post today. Taz and I went to FSU together and I saw her in Whole Foods yesterday. (Yes, you still run into people in the Big Apple. It's much smaller than you think.) She mentioned that she had been reading my blog and I was touched. Thanks Taz. *tear with a smile

DAY 16 & 17:The Itis

Day 16


Raw vegan burger from One Lucky Duck. Delicious!!! There is a recipe book for this restaurant and it's sister restaurant, Pure Foods & Wine. It's on my wish list.


So, if you don't know what the Itis is, let me explain. The Itis is after you eat a meal you get sleepy. Simple as that. However, there is another word that goes with the Itis that is not in my vocabulary therefore I will not type in my blog. If you are curious, ask your African American friends. Anywho, I've notice that I have not experienced the Itis during this cleanse and here is why. The reason you get the Itis after eating is because your body is exerting so much energy in order to digest your food. When you eat foods that are easy for your body to digest, your body using less energy for digestion therefore leaving you with more energy to use throughout the day. Whoo hoo! 


Day 17


Order a delivery from the Amish Market. I created my own salad and failed to ask if the mushrooms were cooked. Received my salad and it had sauteed mushrooms on it. I thought, "Oh, it should be fine. Only the mushrooms are cooked. I should be fine." :P No! I'm feeling very cloudy in my brain right now and my body feels weird. Not going to do that again!

DAY 13-15: Emotional Rollercoaster

Today is the beginning of Week 3 protocol. Nothing will change the first 3-4 days. However, the last 3 or 4 days of the week is a juice fast. There is a choice of fasting for 3 or 4 days. I haven't decided which I am going to do yet. I guess it depends on how I feel.

It has been quite emotional for me lately. In Week 2, the protocol requires you to drink oxykare, which is Karyn's food-grade form of hydrogen peroxide. NOT THE KIND YOU USE TO CLEAN SORES. By drinking this, it oxygenates your body. Karyn warns that this will cause a release of emotions and that we should let them flow and not stop them. Ha! Well, I don't feel like I've been letting it flow. I just can't bring myself to act crazy when I'm feeling crazy (and oh boi, do I feel crazy. lol). I always have to think things over. However, I have had a plethora of emotions. Happiness, sadness, loneliness, anger, blah (whatever that means), etc. Needless to say, I am not too thrilled about drinking this because I am already an emotional person and this makes me even more emotional.

On an interesting note, I have had a triple increase in libido. My libido was quite high before but NOW!! OMG! I'm feeling very animalistic these days! HAHA! Karyn did mention that cleansing would raise the libido and it definitely has in my case. I need to be in a cold shower 24/7.

I've been out a few times at restaurants where I've only had the choice of a salad. Boring!!! But it helps when I have to eat with "normal" eating people. Helps me socialize and not desire the "normal" food. Unfortunately, food and drinks are big part of socializing. A way to bond with others. When I am ordering at a restaurant,  I feel like I've become somewhat of a hippie. (I like hippies by the way. Cool people.) My ordering goes a bit like this..."I would like to have your "blah blah" salad minus the meat and cheese. Add avocado and red onions. Are those walnuts roasted or raw? (Server says, "I have to check." Of course, she wouldn't know. Who asks that type of question? I DO!) Well, if they are roasted, I don't want them but if they are raw I want them. LOL. What a pain!? This reminds me of one of my best friends, Katie. She always requested that her vegetarian sandwich not be cooked in the same skillet with the meat products. We have become kindred spirits, Katie.

Right now, I'm craving sugar. I thought the cravings of sweets would go away but they are still there. I just don't crave them as often and I am quickly satisfied when I do have something sweet. Below is a picture of what I wish I could have right now. It's a vegan raspberry cheesecake I had on the first week of the cleanse. I don't think I can have it now because the crust maybe cooked. Pero, yo no se.

DAY 10-12: Flow and Glow :)

First, I want to say thank you to all of you who read my blog. I hope that this journey of mine encourages you to make some lifestyle changes for the better. You might not embark on this cleanse (I hope you do.) but you might decide to change the way you eat or choose a different cleanse. I have a friend, Spurling Cook, who is on a 21 day juice cleanse right now. He has lost a tremendous amount of weight on his juice protocol. If you are interested, check him out at http://livingwithjuice.blogspot.com/

Second, I want to say sorry for being M.I.A. I have been trying to get use to this new protocol and today just might be the first day that I do everything that is required. At glance, this is my life this week:

• chlorella tablets
• digestive enzymes
• fenugreek seed capsules
• gentle exercise and bodywork
• Green Meal Shake
• journaling
• kamut water
• psyllium and bentonite
• rejuvelac
• coconut oil
• colonics/enemas followed by implants - (Above photo is the water rendered from soaked fenugreek seeds. It is used for my implants.)
• spirulina
• Energy Soup
• fresh vegetable juice
• OxyKare
• probiotics
• wheatgrass juice

Whew! That is a lot to do everyday plus eat. Although, I don't get as hungry as often. If you are interested in knowing more about either bullet point, shoot me a comment.

So let's talk colonics/enemas-

Today was the first time I attempted the enema. (Colonics are expensive considering how much I have already spent on this cleanse; however, I recommend them for everyone!) I was a bit nervous, clearly, since it took me until day 4 of week 2 to do it. I was suppose to start them the 1st day of week 2. You already know it was a bit messy so I will spare you! 


I must say that I am amazed at how much stays in our colons even if we expel daily. You may think that all is good with your colon because you are regular but I highly recommend occasional sets of colonics. They are healthy and lowers the risk of colon cancer.

Good Stuff!

There are 2 things I've noticed that's a bit different this week. One, my mental focus has increased. Two, my skin is changing....for the better!

Yesterday, I was cleaning the house. Usually, I try to clean all the rooms at once. Can we just say , short attention span. But yesterday, I noticed that I was cleaning one room at a time without even forcing myself. I got halfway through the house before I even noticed. Wow! That is pretty huge to me.

Also, my skin has always been pretty smooth and even tone. However, certain spots are dryer than others and I've noticed that my skin appears more hydrated, requires less moisturizing, and has a glowy look. Nice!

I'm really enjoying the good benefits that have occurred during this cleanse thus far.

THANKS KATIE!!! The recipe you gave me was great. I have no idea what this is called. I know they look like meatballs. But its some kind of sweet snack made from walnuts, sunflower seeds, dates, and cacao. Yummy!

Day 8/9: Video Blog & Pics!

Click on video below!

(If you have problems viewing video from here, follow link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYKp61iGBR0 )


I also have an indoor farm!

Below are photos of wheat berries and cashew soaking.

I use the wheat berries to make the Rejuvelac, which is a fermented drink with is rich in lacto bacteria. But not made from milk. You sprout the wheat berries and then soak them in water. "The soaked water becomes an enzymatically alive liquid that is rich in the beneficial bacteria lactobacillus" (Calabrese).

I'm soaking the cashews to make a Berry-Flax Parfait, one of Karyn's healthful desserts.

Why Soak Your Nuts? - "When nuts are soaked in water for a few hours, an enzyme inhibitor is broken down, allowing the nutrients in the nuts to be more easily digested and absorbed" (Calabrese).

Day 7: Eating Emotions

David and I went to a wedding last night (Day 7). One of his coworkers got married and they were such a happy and cute couple. It was a Jewish wedding too. I love Jewish weddings. But back to the point. Before going, I knew that they might not have food to accommodate the cleanse. Therefore, I attempted to fill myself up before arriving. That didn't work so well, especially being that I was going to get hungry eventually throughout the night.

After the ceremony, they had cocktail hour. I walked around the tables searching for food I could possibly eat. At the same time, I'm thinking, "I'm glad this is the cooked vegan week of the cleanse". I found some garlic hummus, eggplant, and vegetables. Cool. I can eat this. I happily munch at the vegan food on my small plate.

It's time for the reception dinner. I look at the menu and absolutely nothing was on there that was vegan. In fact the only vegetarian dishes were the soup and salad. They had a butternut squash soup, which I really wanted to eat but resisted. I talked to the waitress and she brought out a salad with no cheese or dressing (they had ranch). They also specially made a penne pasta with veggies and pesto. I'm like cool.

Then the desserts came!! And you know I have a MAJOR sweet tooth. They brought out the wedding cake. I was ok. David ate his slice and my slice. I was cool. BUT THEN, they started bringing out dessert tarts. Every time they brought them out they stood between me and the person to my right. EVERY TIME for about 7 times. Almost each time, David reaches across me to grab a dessert tart and eat it. This seems like it went on forever. I got so angry and emotional by the last dessert tray that I had tears in my eyes and told David I was ready to leave.

This just shows me how much emotions influence our eating. I wasn't hungry at all. I just wanted the desserts. ALL the desserts. But I managed to survive.

Today I'm better. Today (Day 8) begins a new protocol that I have to get used to. We'll see how it goes.

Day 6: Feeling high.

Can I just say that I am feeling great! I am energetic. I am free. I am confident. I am happy. So many good emotions. The food I'm eating is filling. I am wondering what next week will be like because that's when the cleanse changes to raw only. If any of you know of really good raw recipes that do not require a dehydrator, please post! I am trying to find good, flavorful, filling raw vegan foods to eat, so please please help a sista out. ;)

Above is a photo of a meal I had last night with my book club ladies. It's a burrito diablo from Jivamukti a Vegan & Organic place in Union Square. Delicioso!!!! I also had a vegan chocolate chip cookie. I'm going to try to stay away from the sweets next week.

Short blog this time. Til next time.

Day 4/5: Change your food, change your life!

Day 4, I woke up feeling as if I had a hangover. Before bed, I drank a psyllium-bentonite cocktail. The psyllium spends the movement of mucus through the body while providing a good amount of fiber. Bentonite is a powder made from volcanic ash which strips the colon of toxins. If you don't drink enough water after taking this cocktail, you will get dehydrated. Once I had my green meal shake and some water I felt fine.

I felt even better when I went out for a lunch date with my cleansing buddy, Denae! OMG! Day 4 was so much better than Day 3 all because of the food I ate. We went to an Asian vegan restaurant in brooklyn daopalatevegan.com. The dish you see above is the Teriyaki Seitan (Wheat Protein) over a bed of snow peas. I also had a VEGAN raspberry cheesecake. Can I say this restaurant GAVE ME MY LIFE!!! YEEESSS! After finishing my meal, I felt satisfied, rejuvenated, energetic, and ready to tackle the streets of the city! On this cleanse, it is all about what you eat. You can't just eat vegetables without getting your protein in. That's what fills you up and makes you feel satisfied.

That evening I had scrambled tofu with green beans. Thanks Denae for the recipe. That was filling too but I need to watch out for how much Bragg's amino acids I put in there next time.

Today is Day 5. I woke up with MAJOR energy. Ready to hit the gym at 5:30am with the love of my life, David. I had a great workout. It was warm outside. It's the afternoon now and I still feel vibrant and energetic.

On a real note, the bowel movements have kicked into high gear. YES! I've had 3 today and they float! When was the last time you saw your poop float!? Haha! Just what I was looking for. This is probably why I have so much energy. I'm not hauling that weight around and I'm feeding my body food that it can easily digest, thus providing me with more energy to use throughout the day. Whoop Whoop!

I also noticed that I am intaking more air when I breathe. I'm guessing this is due to some of the mucus that has left my sinus and/or the inflammation has gone down. This is just a guess but I am definitely breathing differently and better.

Going to a raw food vegan restaurant tonight with the ladies in the book club. Will let you know about that experience. Until then, if you are in NYC, enjoy this wonderful weather. If you are not, have a wonderful May 8th.

Day 3: That's how they get ya

Sorry, I'm a day late.

So my sugar cravings didn't end, yesterday. So I figured I would go to Whole Foods and get some vegan chocolate chip cookies, hoping this would help me. I searched long and hard for these cookies that you see in the pic. I saw the wheat-free, gluten-free, non-dairy and thought "Oh, this is perfect!" I skimmed the ingredients.  (By the way, never go shopping hungry. You don't think clearly.) I bought the cookies. I ate my first cookie. And while I was eating my second cookie, I spend more time reading the ingredients. Then the anger hits!

There are EGGS in these cookies and they were produced in a facility that produce products with dairy and animal by-products. In reading the front of the box, it did not cross my mind that eggs could be in these cookies because eggs aren't dairy. They are animal by-products. I was soooo mad at myself for not catching this. Nevertheless, I will not be eating anymore of those cookies.

On another note, the cleanse is going well. After drinking the fermented wheat berries or chewing the chlorella tablets, I feel an immediate refreshing sensation throughout my body along with a boost of energy.

Below is a list of symptoms that Karyn mentioned would occur during the cleanse. I have highlighted the ones I have or am experiencing. Speaking of symptoms, I woke up this morning feeling like I have a hangover but didn't drink any alcohol. Ha!

• acne
• bad breath
• body odor
• chills
• diarrhea
• dry eyes
• dry mouth
• fatigue
• fever
• flulike symptoms
• headaches
• nasal congestion
• nausea
• pain blockage
• rash
• runny nose/mucus drainage
• sore throat
• vomiting

I've also been a bit emotional. We'll see how today goes. I'm going to eat some good vegan food from a  restaurant in Brooklyn. I think my cravings will go away if I eat more flavorful foods.

DAY 2: I conquered the chlorella!

So I decided to spread things out a little bit to avoid giving the toilet another $5 work of my cleansing products. It worked. No throwing up today. I also was able to chew the chlorella tablets, with the help of Serena (manager I work with at Dance New Amsterdam). We've become cleansing buddies. She's on a cleanse right now too but it's a different cleanse. I was telling her about my horrible experience yesterday morning and let her try the chlorella tablets. She was a freaking pro! In fact, she said it was yummy! What?!?! So of course, I'm thinking if she can do it I can do it. lol. For some reason, watching her chew the tablet with no problem gave me the mental drive I needed. Thanks Serena.

I've been experiencing some interesting cleansing symptoms today. Cloudiness, headaches, flatulence (yes, ish just got real!), and I've been moody tonight. Being that I am addicted to sweets and in particular chocolate cakes and brownies with ice cream, I've been craving sugar all day. I feel like I'm in rehab going cold turkey. At least this is somewhat what I would imagine it would be like. The sweet cravings put me in a horrible mood. And because of the mood, this posting will be cut short.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

DAY 1: Internal Spring Cleaning

Well, well, well. Ha! Today was day 1 of my 28-day vegan cleanse and it definitely was interesting. Last night, I almost couldn't sleep because I was so excited to begin this cleanse today. I woke up this morning with even more enthusiasm. First thing I did was go to the kitchen to make my Green Meal Shake. I was pressed for time because David & I planned to go to the gym at a certain time; therefore, I somewhat chugged the shake. Bad idea. Then as scheduled I took Fenugreek seed capsules and ATTEMPTED to chew the chlorella tablets you see in the picture above. Bad idea to do right after shake. OH MY GOD! Chewing those tablets was the worst thing ever. I still don't understand why I have to chew them instead of swallow them. At first bite it taste like what I would imagine dog food tastes like. As I continued chewing, it tasted like grass and earth. It took forever to chew one tablet and the remaining of the tablet would clump up on the side of my mouth, thus coating my teeth green. This was such a bad experience that my body rejected it and it all ended up in the toilet. YUCK! Must I say that all of this was caught on video by David...

What is so interesting is that by the time you make it to the first day of the cleanse, you are so committed that nothing will stop you. I read the book and mentally prepared myself for this epic event. I (and David) invested in the supplements, food, and gagets necessary for the cleanse. I planned my daily eating schedule. By this time, I am so committed that I was like, "I have to try this again"; I will not be defeated. I am so committed that I was mad at myself for throwing up $5 worth of products.

On a lighter note, I feel good so far. The only thing that didn't feel normal about today was the burst of energy I had in the afternoon. However, I haven't pooped today. Hmmmm. Unfortunately, outside of the cleanse this isn't an everyday occurrence for me. I am hoping that this cleanse will change that. Maybe an internal spring cleaning will happen tomorrow.

Soak Your Nuts - Raw Vegan Cleanse

I am a day and some change away from the onset of my raw vegan cleanse. March 4th is almost here. I was introduced to the book Soak Your Nuts by my bestie Denae Hannah! The author of the book is Karyn Calabrese and she looks amazing having been on this earth for over 6 decades!

Ever since I was introduced to alkaline water (Follow this link to learn about alkaline water: http://kangendemo.com/), I have been interested in how to make my diet more alkaline. Actually, I feel like there are so many conversations with various friends, i.e Kate (another one of my besties), have led me to this mental state.  Thanks to Denae, I found a program that would actually facilitate my changing eating habits. A 28 day cleanse. How did she convince me to do this?!!! If you know me well, you know that I have a major sweet tooth. I am (was) almost controlled by sweets. But supposedly, this cleanse is suppose to help your body crave "good" food.

There are so many reasons why I wanted to try this cleanse and I will list them in bullet form because I'm not too crazy about writing paragraphs. I'm not too crazy about writing period but I want you to be in the loop.

• I now live in a big city where there are a lot of pollutants and toxins that I encounter on a daily basis. Karyn advises to detox in these situations.
• Banging Body! I have a belly pooch that I have been trying to get rid of for the longest. If you know me well, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't know me well, you think I have lost my mind because you see me as a skinny torso walking on toothpicks as legs. My goal is to have a feminine yet muscular body with just enough body fat to be healthy. (I will post before and after pics)
• If this is truly the fountain of youth, I want in on it! Karyn looks amazing and she claims to not had any surgery.
• Karyn doesn't see this cleanse as simply a physical experience, she sees it as a wholistic (David, I spelled it with a "w" just for you :) ) experience. She claims that this cleanse will affect the mind, body, and spirit. She encourages daily meditation of some sort. And for those of you who know me well, know that I will be "Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo"ing in up!!! I'm committing to chanting 2/day. I'm really stoked about that because I've been slacking on my chanting. 
• I am looking for this cleanse to increase my energy. I would say that I feel lethargic almost everyday and I'm quite convinced it's because of what I put into my body. ALL OF THAT SUGAR WEARS ME DOWN!
• Clear mind! I am pretty forgetful these days. I promise I ask David where I put something everyday. (David is the love of my life, in case you didn't know. I also want to give him a shout out and some besos y abrazos for supporting me in this cleanse. This cleanse is quite expensive and I thank you so much for your monetary support. Most of all, I thank you for your emotional and mental support.)
• Free of illness and allergies.

These are just a few things that I have in mind and I am looking forward to letting you in on this journey. If you support me and have wonderful things to say, please comment. If you have negative thoughts, please wait until my cleanse is over and then we can discuss. I would like to stay "negative energy free".

Til next time,

Monique