Got Juice? My First Experience with a Juice Cleanse

I’ve been wanting to try some sort of detox since the beginning of the year but have struggled deciding what exactly to do. I was definitely scared to do a detox and was afraid that I would be running to the bathroom between patients. But, I decided that I would take the chance because I felt like I needed to replenish my body with nutrients and get a fresh start to the year. After trying to find time on the weekend to make enough juices to last me for 3 days, I realized that just wasn’t an option at this time with my busy schedule. I decide to go with the 3 day beginner’s cleanse from Natural Born Juicers right down on Mass. Ave. I was able to order the cleanse online and then drove down to the store to pick them up. It was a little pricey but how do you really put a price on good health? Cancer can get pretty expensive too!

Day 1
1. Light Greens
2. Grapefruit, Apple, Lemon
3. Ultimate Greens
4. Alkalized Spicy Lemonade
5. Sweet Beet
6. Live Sprouted Almond Milk

Day 2
1. Light Greens
2. Grapefruit Mint
3. Ultimate Greens
4. Alkalized Spicy Lemonade
5. Happy Heart
6. Almond Milk

Day 3
1. Light Greens
2. Spring Cleaner
3. Ultimate Greens
4. Spicy Lemonade
5. Fomo
6. Almond Milk

I started it last Sunday. Sidney, Emma, and I trucked down to Mass Ave to fuel up before shopping at Target for some curtains for Emma’s newly painted room. I dragged them alone to make sure I didn’t chicken out.

: My 3 day cleanse

: The Ultimate Greens juice

: Sidney’s Allergy Tamer and Emma’s Sunburn smoothie

First of all, all of the juices were uber tasty! I’m not a fan of beets and that ended up being my favorite juice. Day One went fine, I was a little hungry around dinner time but was able to stay distracted and the “almond” juice felt like a nice little dessert before bed and filled me up. Day Two, wasn’t quite so easy. I went to work feeling a little weak and drained. I felt as though I was recovering from the flu and actually had to break down and eat some raw veggies (cucumber, carrots, broccoli, and beets) for lunch–(Shout out to the garden cafe at IU West). In retrospect, I don’t think I had been drinking enough water. By Day Three, I was feeling great and wasn’t hungry at all. I actually felt like going another 2-3 days but didn’t want to push it. I was a little gassy but was not in the bathroom all day. My bowels seemed pretty regular and there was no abdominal discomfort. Overall it wasn’t the worst experience I’ve had in my life. I would say waking up in college at IU after a night at Kilroy’s outranked this by far.

I’ll try it again and will maybe go for a more advanced or even longer cleanse. My skin seemed clearer and what was really funny is that the whites of my eyes seemed really bright by Day Three. They seemed normal before but by Day 3, they were glowing!! Not to mention, there was a sense of accomplishment from challenging myself and stepping a little out of my comfort zone. I hear that place where all growth happens. We will soon see!

Eat those VEGGIES! or in this case–Drink them!

Check out their website by clicking HERE

and for more information on the benefits of juicing —check this LINK

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Angela in Body, Diet, Green Living, Nutrition, Organic, Weight Loss, Whole Food 1 Comment

We’re putting it in the wrong hole!

So this weekend I am painting my 8-year-old daughter’s room (bright teal for the DIVA EMMA) and I have been catching up on my new favorite podcast! The Food Heals Podcast— I just listened to the truly inspirational story of Evita Ramparte. In the year 2000, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and began an enlightening journey of detoxification and emotional and physical healing thru changing her diet. She was inspired by a lady on New Year’s Eve who gave her set instructions on how to heal. She starts this whole process off by fasting and doing a COFFEE ENEMA— yep you heard me —-EEk !!! The podcast hosts (Suzy and Allison) had me rolling on the floor laughing when they exclaimed “We’re putting it in the Wrong Hole!” So far-I’m with them–I like to drink my coffee and maybe on a whim, put the coffee grounds in my garden.

My initial thought was on the logistics of how to actually do the enema. Do you use organic coffee? Does it have to be warm? How do you do that without your family finding out? Do your farts start smelling like hazelnut?????

I may have been a little high on paint fumes after that second coat of primer because when I stumbled upon a great link on how to do a coffee enema while perusing Facebook, I felt like the Universe was luring me into this world of detox and poop! My friend Dr Christopher Nagy (Yourpersonalwellness.com) is always sharing a wealth of holistic information and I figured if he thinks it’s post worthy –it’s worth checking out.

I haven’t tried it yet but after reading all the health benefits — I may actually do it —Don’t worry- I won’t post pictures!

Here is the LINK that Dr Nagy shared on liver detoxification and coffee enemas –I found it quite informative http://www.mygutsy.com/the-ultimate-liver-detox-coffee-enemas

There is great information in this post. She explains the many functions of the liver and how to determine if you have symptoms of a toxic liver. Oh yes– and step by step instructions on how do one at home.

Coffee enemas aren’t a new concept –They have been used for years and were popular in healing cancer at the famous The Gerson Institute. For more information on Dr. Max Gerson and his cancer treatments –see this BLOGPOST

If you aren’t “gutsy” enough to try the coffee enema –check these other LIVER DETOX options.

Share in the comments below if you or anyone you know has tips or any experience with them. We don’t judge here and won’t share your name! We are all in this together!!

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Angela in Body, cancer, Diet, disease 2 Comments

Juicing 101

While browsing Facebook I came across a college sorority sister that has started a juice detox this week to start of the New Year. She bought a pre-made 3 day juice cleanse from Le Nectar –a new juicing bar here in town located on the Northside next to Tulip Noir. There are several different spots here in town where you can purchase fresh juice including Georgetown Market, EarthFare, and Natural Born Juicers just to name a few. However I am incredibly poor after the holiday season considering my children are now of the age where gifts require a more significant monetary investment than in the early years. So I am now inspired to dust off my juicer that has been hibernating during the holidays and get back on board. A juicer is a bit of investment at first, however you will save a lot of money in the long run doing your own juicing . I came across a colleague’s article on the different types of juicers that was extremely informative and helpful and wanted to share that with you . Here’s the link that will explain the different types of juicers available along with the pros and cons.

http://www.juicingwithg.com/types-of-juicers/

Be sure to check out his BLOG as well.

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Angela in Body, Diet, Guest Blog, Nutrition, Organic, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

More great gluten-free recipes submitted by YOU

I am so excited that everyone is sharing their stories! A husband/wife team are doing the Detox Challenge and loving it! I got a message from a friend stating that she LOVES -Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo and am getting great recipe submissions as well. Keep them coming and be sure to comment below if you have any pearls of wisdom to add to our journey!!!

Thanks Debbie for this great recipe:

Here is a recipe that I used Gluten-Free Pasta to make. I’m still not sure exactly what has gluten in it, so I don’t want to say this is totally gluten-free, but it should be close. I’ve tried this recipe before with regular Ziti & it was also good. Takes very little time to make. o Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta (elbow). I boiled it for 2 min. & then let it sit covered for 18 min. like the recipe said, but I think it sat for a little too long. I’m going to try 15 min. next time. o 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil o 1/2 cup sour cream (I used light) o 24 oz. jar pasta sauce 2 4 oz. cans mushroom pieces, drained 1 8 oz. pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided Optional: 3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (I did not use) Once I made it without meat & once I put in about 3/4 of a big smoked sausage link, thinly sliced it & sautéed for a couple of minutes to brown it. It was just enough to taste, but wasn’t overpowering. 1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta to pkg. directions. Drain & return to pot. 2) Heat oil in skillet over Med-Hi heat. Add meat & cook until no longer pink in center. Combine meat, if using, with pasta, sour cream, sauce & mushrooms. 3) Pour 1/2 of pasta mixture in 2 qt. baking dish or 8×8 baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Pour remaining mixture on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 4) Bake 25 to 30 minutes until heated through.

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss 4 Comments

Detox Challenge

I’ve had several patients recently do some detox challenges and they seem to be getting great results! I didn’t have time to participate in the last one that I posted. I did hunt down another one which should be great! Dr. Sara Gottfried is hosting one with the registration ending today!! Sorry for the short notice! You can sign up for free by clicking the banner below.

She is also the author of THE HORMONE CURE–which is an excellent resource to help naturally get your hormones back in check!!!

Happy Detoxing y’all !!!

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

What Supplements Should I Take?

Many of you have been in for your annual physical this last year and have been instructed to start the following supplements. You also got a boatload of homework assignments and reading material about healthy eating. (Sorry about that–I treat insomnia too!) After some trial and error, a lot of research, and some penny-pinching–these are the supplements in my medicine cabinet right now. Please leave comments on this post on any of these you have tried and any others you would recommend. We are all in this together!!

Blue Ice Royal

Butter oil/Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend (add omega 3 fatty acids)

Ortho Molecular Products

Vitamin K2 with D3 (for hormonal and bone health)

For more info on Vitamin K2 –check HERE

Magnesium Glycinate (stabilize the calcium in your body)

For more info on Magnesium check HERE

Probiotics (Re-colonize your gut with good bacteria)

VSL #3

For more info on probiotics check HERE

There you go; I practice what I preach and take these every day. They are expensive and when I think I can’t afford them; I try and remember that cancer can’t be cheap!

We live in a TOXIC WORLD. How do you stay healthy? Attend The Detox Summit, a worldwide online (and free) event from August 4-11, 2014. HERE

30 reasons why our toxic world doesn’t have to dictate your health! Find out more at the Detox Summit, free and online from August 4-11. Save your seat today! YOUR SEAT HERE

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Supplements 5 Comments

Getting Glutened—Episode 3

Thanks Sandy —for sharing more of your gluten free adventures with us!

“So last night, I got some cereal boxes mixed up and accidentally may have eaten some gluten. It was honey nut cheerios, but I wasn’t paying close attention and thought I picked up honey nut Chex. You’d think I might have noticed the difference in size and shape of the cereal in the bowl, but I had my head elsewhere and didn’t notice. (Some of you may have guesses as to where my head was, so I’d like to clear that up right now…it was in a book….that place my mother was always telling me to get it out of…turns out she may have been right.)

When I realized my error, I read the label and thought “Ah, that’s okay. This is mostly oats.” I chose to ignore the part at the bottom of the ingredients list that said “may contain wheat.”

I enjoyed my bedtime snack, read a little longer, and went to bed, thinking “that’s okay…not that big a deal…you probably won’t notice any difference.”

Until about 3:30 this morning when my guts woke me up with their cramping. Really? Really?! More evidence, I guess, that gluten-free is the path for me. I haven’t had that happen in a couple of weeks now.”

Here are a few tips to recover from

getting

glutened!

1. Cleanse your system quickly: This includes hydration above and beyond your usual requirement of 1/2 your body weight in ounces. A great way to hydrate and detox is to use coconut water –it also contains electrolytes that can be lost via vomiting or diarrhea (It’s nature’s Gatorade)

2. Try some digestive enzymes: they speed up the breakdown and absorption of nutrients. Make sure you get one that contains the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase(DPP-IV) which specifically breaks down gluten

3. Decrease inflammation with omega 3 fatty acids, ginger, or turmeric –these supplements all have fabulous anti-inflammatory qualities. I take THIS

4. Heal your gut using probiotics. I would recommend doubling up on your probiotic (up to 100 billion units/day) for about a week after gluten exposure. I take THIS

5. Use bone broth that is high in glycine and proline. The gelatin heals the mucosal lining of the gi tract.

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss Leave a comment

Detox Cleanse

Well, it’s that time of the year when we all start making resolutions for change. We aspire to become better people and to take better care of ourselves. We set unrealistic goals, take an all-or-nothing approach, and most of us will epically fail within the first few months. Weight loss, nutrition, and self-improvement are choices that we make daily, every time we open our mouths to put something into our bodies.

Many of you have asked about cleansing and detox kits. Don’t buy them! Anything that is artificial or comes as a supplement or powder isn’t worth chancing.

I do think cleansing and detox can be healthy and play a good role in jump starting you into a new healthier lifestyle. I came across a 14 day detox program that uses only real food to detox which I think is safe for most. It also incorporates social support for the program which is where many of us fail in our New Year’s Resolutions. You can learn more about this at http://www.yurielkaim.com/

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Whole Food 1 Comment

Be Mindful, Stay Healthy, and Always Be Yourself!

detox