Healthy Dessert Watermelon Granita

I made this Watermelon Granita last night and Patrick loved it! (me too).
You just cut watermelon in chunks, freeze, blend in food processor with a little fresh lime juice. 

I have added a few drops of stevia in the past but forgot it last night and it was still awesome!

Eat More Raw Food!

My Vegan Parm

Had to get this posted here.  I use it all the time.  Not only when I am doing Raw.

My Vegan Parmesean:

6 T nutritional yeast

2/3 C cashews

4 T Raw hemp seed

1/3C pine nuts

1/2C pumpkin seeds

1 T garlic powder

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 T parsley (opt.)

1 T EVOO

Blend in bullet, store in mason jar in fridge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 I find myself using this allot.  I love it on a good salad and I use it on Zoodles and other gluten free pastas.  It's excellent. 

Planning 30-40 Days Raw

I'm excited.. my hubs has an interest in doing 30-40 days Raw with me!
I want to make it enjoyable for him.. for me I would be good with jut lots of fruits and salads but he goes to work every day and needs something a bit more substantial so I am going to plan a bit more on the gourmet raw side.. especially for dinners.. more substantial.

I have a bunch of great ideas and I will post them here as I do them.  So far here are some of my ideas:

-Fruit for breakfast most days

-Green smoothies too in the mornings

-My pine nut, basil, fresh tomato, garlic, mushroom dehydrated stuffed mushrooms..

-Lasagna w salad side

- Carrot falafel (I"ve never made this but I have a recipe in the works to try!)

- My sprouted oat grouts banana nut bread

- Over night raw oats

- The occasional OJ, turmeric, pineapple, ginger juice shot for us both...  great for anti inflammatory!

 - Anti inflammatory chia pudding with added raw oats and dates and banana and walnuts and maca for iodine

-My Raw nori rolls with mandolin sliced thin lemon (OMG I LOVE lemon in nori rolls)

-  Raw dehydrated veggie burgers (starting on a recipe idea for these now!) with spicy raw ketchup (date, soaked dried ancho, soaked sundried tomato)

-Zuchinni carrot buckwheat bread

-Raw crackers topped with smashed avo, tomato slices, thin slivered purple onion, capers, and balsamic

-Raw Waldorf salad-celery, apple, grape, romaine, walnuts..with Raw cashew, lemon & ACV mayo

-A smoothie with frozen bananas, 2 tbsp of almond butter, almond or CO milk (or both) and dates...add maca, raw cacao

-Raw bars and cookies and My raw ginger sesame coconut chews  

-Italian salad: campari tomato, fresh basil, cucumber, roasted garlic, fennel seed ground. romaine or butter leaf, marinated mushrooms and artichokes and raw olives

 -a Greek salad with fresh oregano, purple onion, Greek olives, pepperoncini, cucumber, olive oil and lemon and raw feta at wholefoods..

-RAW BLONDIES 1/2 cup cashews, 1/2 cup walnuts, 4 tbsp palm/coconut sugar, 5 pitted dates, 1t vanilla powder, Big pinch of sea salt, Press in mold and freeze, Raw fudge drizzle on top

 -Avocado salad with campari tomato, raw ORGANIC corn, cucumber, mandoline thin slice celery, videlia onion, lots of lime juice, and finely pressed raw garlic.  

-Summer roll wraps with mango and lots of raw veg and wild jungle peanuts

-RAW pizza with this red bell and flax pizza crust; http://www.onegreenplanet.org/plant-based-recipes/raw-vegan-pizza-with-red-pepper-flax-crust/

-Pineapple avocado gazpacho appetizer with a veggie wrap in my onion/flax/green apple wraps

-Zuchinni corn flax crackers with guacamole and thin tomato and jalapeno on top

-Raw Chili;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKLBUbvlcNA a video for inspiration but I have already started working on a recipe. 


-Occasionally I might do an all juice day while hubs is working.. 

 ALSO I wanna go to our amazing Winter Garden farmers market and there is an Acai Bowl place here in Orlando I wanna checkout. ..

Made it 7 Days!

I came off my fast last night.  I all of a sudden got severe hunger and just decided it was ok.. I had done a week and not to push myself to continue.. that's not healthy mentally for me.  Deprivation mindset only leads to binge eating for me.

Plus I have been feeling a little depressed.. sort of just blah.  I am tired of having no energy at all and since I have not been hungry and then all of a sudden was, I think it was time.

I ate a banana and then some PB2 a little later.. it was VERY HARD to not pig out.. I then had a English muffin with a bit of butter (I had to reign myself in on the fat) and jelly..

I am really missing energy and hoping coming off my fast will help my melancholy.  I will go back to my work on intuitive eating and consuming whole foods the huge majority of the time.

Yesterday I really had no drive.  I just want to be doing nothing.  I did make myself mop the kitchen floor and repair a VERY long necklace (took hours) of mine that recently broke.. It's one of my favorites...

UPDATE:
This AM I feel so good.. I have much more energy already.. I am wanting to eat allot and I am working on really honoring my hunger and not pigging out.  I decided the reason I had such low energy was because my body was spending all my energy on detox and healing a couple of issues... 

Juice Fast Day 7

 I found this online.. I don't know WHO made this beautiful piece of live food art so if you 

run across this one day please let me know so I can give you credit!!! 

So this AM I woke up really shaky and coffee made me worse and I felt I was going to pass out.. heart racing, light headed.. going to drink tea with my coconut cream tomorrow instead... less caffeine.  I drank some organic bottled grape juice quickly to give myself a bit of energy so I could make us our coffee LOL!

217.8 this AM.. lost less than a half pound.. I knew I would slow down soon...

I was SO BORED yesterday! I have very little energy to do anything productive so I just read and look at Youtube and surf around finding Juice Fast motivation..  Making myself drink MORE JUICE  today just to see if I get better energy..  I really need to get some work done around the house and HATE sitting on my ass all day.  I know I am so fortunate that Patrick makes enough $$ for me to not work right now (although I am making and shipping jewelry that I do sell I am not creating anymore right now) but I just can't stand having zero energy. 

JUICE YESTERDAY
I've been waiting till afternoon to start my first juice but today I woke up feeling very shaky and had a Suja sweet beets first thing.

 Then Coffee w 5T my Co milk for healthy fat approx 100 cal worth of fat

200 calories of that bottle Strawberry Limeade at 12:40 p.m. 

Then a green juice with celery, beet greens, tomato, lime, cabbage, cucumber,  apple.  NOT a pretty juice.. sort of dark brown but great for me and didn't taste as bad as it looks.

Then around 5pm I had about 12 oz Publix bottled organic grape juice (really low energy).

While Patrick ate his dinner I had Ice tea w juice of an orange.

TODAY SO FAR.
So I was shaky this AM but really no headache or outward signs of detox.. just REALLY low energy.. working on more juices today.

I am so proud of myself so far on this journey.

Juice Fast Day 6

Now THAT'S a Seriously Green Juice!!

Well day 6!!!!!!!!!!!

You came in ok but ended being a freaking bitch!  Felt decent most of the day (still low energy but..)  then got bad arm pain.. weird, I have been having this pain in my muscles in the upper back of my arms and in my left shoulder.. it comes and goes but last night I had a hard time getting comfortable in bed they ached so bad.  I remember this happened on my last Juice Fast.. I know it's something my body is working on .. they are about 80% better today!

Sinus yuck has slowed down considerably... I can breathe again!  No more headache this AM.. just slow and low energy.. I KNOW I am not drinking enough juice and Patrick called me just now and told me to go make some juice.. I will soon.. it's weird.. I am NOT hungry!!! Just thirsty.  Joe Cross of Fat Sick Nearly Dead documentary said this happens, much lowered hunger. I wonder if I need to make myself drink more juice for the nutrient??

Personal backyard sauna:
A few months ago I was wanting to go to this Spa here in town to try out their wet sauna.. I thought to myself "it's 90% humidity outside here in FL right now in the Summer.. I might as well just lay out.. get Vit D and a personal sauna at the same time".. SO that's what I've been doing and OMG yes I sweat enough for it to be a serious sauna!

Coffee enema yesterday.. I know.. TMI but there it is.. and really I am just documenting this for me.. I don't think anyone reads my blog.. I want all this documented for myself for the future.

I bought a new body brush to do dry skin brushing but I always prefer to do it wet in the shower.. honestly I am not sure why you would HAVE to do it on dry skin.. I scrub verrrrry well!  LOL!

Deep Breathing:
I detox thru my sinus and my lungs.. I have felt my lungs are heavy and just congested so I started deep breathing yesterday to try to work on that.

Low Energy:  I really have very low energy.. I know I have not been taking in very many calories but I am torn.. I honestly feel like you detox better on lower calorie but I know I need vitamins/minerals as well to aid in healing.  I really don't feel like doing much but sitting in my recliner, reading, watching YouTube juice fast videos and juicing..  I have made a couple pieces of jewelry for clients but I find that I really don't enjoy it.  I want to detox more than anything so I am making sure I am drinking lots of water to make up for the lack of juices.. I may add more juice as this progresses but right now I think I'll just listen to my hunger.

JUICES YESTERDAY::

2 small Cups Coffee with 1/4 C coconut milk (On several juice fast protocols you are instructed to take 1T of Flax or Hemp seed oil - about 120 calories,  a healthy fat to protect your Gall Bladder.  I decided I would go for Coconut milk because it's a good fat as well and also has anti-fungal properties and I am NOT convened that coffee is that much of a problem.. too many studies that show it's good for our brain).. I started back on coffee with coconut milk yesterday (5 days in) because extended juice fasts really need some type of healthy fat IMO...

Large 1 Liter coconut  h20

Green Juice:  one tub of Mixed Field greens, lemon, pineapple, cucumber

Seltzer Water with True Lime brand Watermelon Aqua Fresca powder

Another green juice "Noon Greens" Suja at  4:30

Iced Black Tea at Dinnertime as Patrick ate his dinner. 

The Watermelon Powder I Use.. Real Ingredients, Just Watermelon, Lime, Stevia and Sugar

One Thing to Note! I can look at food and not want to eat!!!  it's like I'm just settled in to this..

Weight:
229 to 218 today on Day 6.. although I am NOT doing this primarily for weightloss I want to document my weight.. I have so many health issues that to me are so much more important than the number on the scale..

Juice Fast Day 5

Juice Prep! :

Damn.. I can't really believe it's already day 5.  I'm proud of myself.. I am very determined.

Well I was commenting yesterday how I was so surprised how easy it was so far but Detox is catching up... last night I got a pretty good headache before bed.. I've been low energy and have had lots of sneezes. 

This AM I woke feeling lifeless and the base of my neck is stiff and my eyes feel achy and dry and gunky.. I feel a bit dulled.. disconnected.  i want resounding changes in my life!  I want more energy and a renewed purpose.  I want to better my and Patrick's health and help us lose weight and gain a more active and satisfying life...  

JUICE YESTERDAY;

GREEN JUICE: Romaine fennel spinach celery carrot cabbage lemon parsley and two green apples

this made 1 1/2 large mason jars

 then later seltzer with about 1/4 C grape juice just for flavor (no photo)

then HUGE 4 C watermelon juice

 

Dinner I was not hungry so I had hot black tea w chocolate stevia drops

WEIGHT:
Started juice fast at 229,2
This AM 219.6
I've lost 9.5 pounds in 4 days.

Juice Fast Day 4

 This fast has so far been infinitely easier than my last 3!  I am not sure if I was just so ready (had been wanting to do another one for months but made myself wait until JUST THE RIGHT TIME)... 

 I really feel ok.. pretty low energy but surprised no serious detox yet..  just sinus drainage (having to blow nose often) my sinus pain is pretty much gone and I can breathe clear most often outside of needing to occasionally blow my nose.. pretty low energy several times yesterday so I drank fruit juices mostly.. I will make sure to have at least 2 good green juice today.  making one first thing.. Patrick going to store for me today to stock up on more produce (It's Memorial Day so I hope PUblix is open!)..lost 1.8 pounds overnight.

I laid out in the sun a while yesterday.. it was nice, sweating is important when detoxing and we have our own private back-yard sauna here in Orlando ha!!  Had to take a steamy selfy LOL!

JUICE YESTERDAY:

Lime Perrier.. love having these fizzy babies 1st thing!!

I also found this Strawberry LimeAid bottled juice: 

 I was excited to see it is Pressure Pasteurized too and believe when they are pasteurized this way as opposed to heat it helps keep the majority of the enzymes in tact.. obviously fresh juice is BEST but I am a realist and have learned from past juice fast experience I NEED occasional quick and easy and the Suja and these are the 2nd best after fresh.  

at about 2pm I got hungry again so I made fresh OJ/Grapefruit:

Then I had some hot tea.. I have really enjoyed a pretty cup of hot tea around 4pm, it's a great ritual any day.  It feels special and many teas are tonics for the body, I use pretty china and a glass tea pot (need pix next time).. this one was orange spice and the cinnamon seemed to irritate my stomach a tiny bit?

Later around 5, I felt  weak and really needed calories so I had some organic grape juice (publix bottled).. ingredients just grape juice and water.

For dinner I had about 24oz fresh watermelon juice and OMG it was heaven!

Yes I may have over did the fruit juice today but I really felt I needed it.. this AM first thing I made a VERY green juice to get started.. I will have more green today also.

All in all I am doing surprisingly well.  My only complaint is I am sneezing allot (sinus drainage), I have to blow my nose allot and I have low energy and it seems when I drink fruit juice my energy gets better for a while.. even with all the fruit juice yesterday I estimate my calories came in under 1000 so I am certainly low cal. 

I have a sense of calmness and have noticed I have less scattered racing thoughts..
I have made it as easy on myself as I can this round.. picked the right time, no responsibility, no appointments and no travel scheduled for one month..  allowed myself to not worry about housework.. etc..

Hubs going back to work tomorrow.. I have sure enjoyed him being here.. he is proud of me and yesterday he drank juice and ate fruit and watermelon only!  He's so wonderful to me.  He had a 3 day weekend.

Started day feeling fine.. ended weak and  headachey..  lots of sneezes .