Adventures in Juice Fasting

I've always been a huge advocate of fasting.  Fasting is basically the opposite of everything society tells us to do.  Corporate media and every advertisement tells us to constantly consume.  So much so, that much of our self-worth is derived from the amount of, quality and variety of our consumption.  But who benefits?  Obesity is at an all-time high, as is depression and prescription drug dependency.  Fasting allows the body to cleanse itself of the toxins that have accumulated over the years and divert energy normally used for digestion to healing and repairing damaged organs.

While I would usually fast at least once a year for around 2 weeks, the stress of moving, pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding and returning to work put a damper on my fasting plans.  But after we moved back to Boston I started feeling very overwhelmed with my responsibilities as a new mom, frustrated with my bad habits, and a bit depressed over my lack of freedom from my son.

I was starting to feel guilty about my state of mind, so I sought out the help of my trusted acupuncturist. I've been seeing my acupuncturist, Dan Dan, for the past 3 years and she has helped me with dance injuries, allergies, ear infections and insomnia. She agreed that all of the stress was taking its toll on my body and spirit.  Then she reminded me of the healing powers of fasting.

Fasting is NOT something to be entered into lightly, so after much research and discussion with Dan Dan, I decided it would be safe to do a short, 5 day juice fast while still exclusively breastfeeding my son.  Juice fasting gives your body all of the nutrients it needs and pure pressed juices take little to no energy for your body to process.  The detoxification is also less intense than with water fasting, so I would still have enough energy to take care of the baby.

This is my adventure....

Day 1:

10:00 am:  Carrot/Orange Juice

12:00 pm:  Taught Baby and Me Class

1:00 pm:   Apple, Carrot, Kale, Ginger Juice

3:00 pm:   Peppermint Iced Tead

5:30 pm:   Kale, Broccoli, Celery, Ginger, Garlic Juice

6:00 pm:   Nap

8:00 pm:   Kombucha (fermented tea)

8:30 pm:   Light Yoga Session (30 mins)

9:00 pm:   Peach Tea

Side Effects:  head aching, easily upset, pressure on sinuses, frequent urination, sleepy, kidney pain, back pain, groggy

Improvements:  None

Day 2

10:00 am:  Grapefruit Juice

12:45 pm:  Carrot, Kale, Collards, Garlic Juice

2:00 pm:  Nap

4:30 pm:  Kale, Broccoli, Celery, Ginger, Garlic Juice

5:30 pm:  Carrot Juice

6:00 pm:  Yoga Session (1 hr)

7:30 pm:  Ginger, Lemon, Water

9:00 pm:  Hibiscus Tea

Side Effects:  headache, sleepy, slight kidney pain, back pain, bad breath, sleepy

Improvements:  less headache and kidney pain, more mental clarity

Day 3:

10:00 am:  Apple, Carrot, Orange, Mango Juice

10:30 am:  Hibiscus/Mint Iced Tea

12:30 pm:  Apple, Celery, Beet, Garlic, Ginger, Kale Juice

3:00 pm:  Kombucha

5:30 pm:  Kale, Broccoli, Celery, Ginger, Garlic Juice

6:30 pm:  Belly Dance Class (45 mins)

7:00 pm:  Ginger, Lemon Water

9:30 pm:  Rooibus Tea

Side Effects:    headache, sleepy, slight kidney pain, back pain, bad breath

Improvements:  even less headache and kidney pain, more mental clarity, more energy

Day 4:

10:00 am:  Hibiscus Iced Tea

11:30 am:  Superfood Smoothie

2:00 pm:  Celery, Beet, Garlic, Ginger, Kale Juice

5:00 pm:  Kombucha

6:00 pm:  Belly Dance Class (45 mins)
7:30 pm:  Ginger, Lemon Water

Side Effects:  sore arms and legs, lower abdominal pain, no appitite

Improvements:  not thinking about solid food,  no headache or kidney pain, more energy


*Notes:  I hardly slept at all tonight because of labor-like pains in my uterus and ovaries.  While I've had period-like pain when fasting before, I'm guessing that I didn't give myself enough time to heal after my son's birth.


Day 5

7:30 am:  Superfood Smoothie

12:00 pm:  Carrot, Celery, Beet, Garlic, Ginger, Kale Juice

5:00 pm:  Kombucha
6:00 pm: Nap

7:00 pm:  Light Yoga Session (20 mins)
8:30 pm:  Ginger, Lemon Water

Side Effects: headache, very groggy, lower abdominal pain, pressure on sinuses, easily irritated, chills, no appetite
Improvements:  all side effects were gone by around 4:00 pm


The next day I gently broke my fast by drinking only juice and water and only eating raw salads.

Right now I'm feeling much better and enlightened by the healing I experienced on the fourth night.  I'll discuss my improvements in greater detail after my acupuncturist appointment tomorrow! 

My Vegan Valentine

Hey Pretty Mamas!

Just because you're indulging in a vegan diet doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the action this Valentine's Day. In fact, practicing a cruelty-free lifestyle means that you'll have even more love to spread around!

I've come up with a few ideas and recipes for this day of love celebration. Feel free to try out a few for your kid's class, your work, or your friends!

Cards That Grow



Many eco-friendly paper companies are adding seeded paper to their inventory.  Give the gift of gardening in a renewable, recycled love letter!  If the trend catches on we'll all be getting a flower-filled Eden that blooms all spring instead of roses that wilt after a few days.



www.botanicalpaperworks.com

Find cute pre-made cards here:

Botanical Paper Works

Or make your own with paper from here: 

Flower Seed Paper

Guilt-Free Goodies


There's no better way to sneak fruit into your kids diet than to cover it in chocolate. Lucky for you, carob has that same ooey-gooey, chocolaty taste that your little ones love without the crazy side-effects, and they'll love to help you with the preparation.


Raw Organic Vegan Carob Covered Strawberries


Ingredients

3 - 4 tablespoons of raw organic carob powder
3 - 4 tablespoons of coconut nectar
Organic strawberries


Method

Wash the strawberries. In a large mixing bowl, hand mix the carob powder and coconut nectar until well blended. Dip the strawberries or use a spoon to cover the strawberries with the carob sauce. Adjust the amount of carob powder and coconut nectar to taste and desired consistency. Use more carob powder for a darker sauce, or use more coconut nectar for a lighter sauce. It only takes a few minutes, and is very fun, easy and delicious!




The more adventurous cook should try these Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes! These are dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and sugar-free, thus making them a perfect treat for entertaining large groups.


Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes about 22 cupcakes


Wet Ingredients

2 cups soy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 ounces red food coloring
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups agave nectar


Dry Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
You can also add 1/2 peeled and cooked beet for extra flavor


Method

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add vinegar to soy milk, and set aside about 10 minutes to curdle. Sift dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add vegetable oil, food coloring, vanilla extract, and agave nectar to the curdled soy milk, and mix well. Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. These rise well, so fill cupcake liners ¾ full to leave room. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes or until done.


Frosting Ingredients

½ cup margarine, room temperature
½ cup Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 teaspoons stevia


Method

Cream the margarine, then blend with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and vanilla extract.  Slowly add the Stevia into the mix, and then beat until smooth and fluffy.If it's too runny, keep it in the fridge. Frost only after cupcakes have cooled.




Girls Night In

If you're taking a break from boys this year, grab some goblets and your best girlfriends and mix up some Valentine cheer!

Cranberry Kamikaze

Ingredients

1 fl oz Vodka

1 fl oz Orange Liqueur, such as Cointreau

1/2 fl oz Lime Cordial

2 fl oz Cranberry Juice

Method

Pour vodka, orange liqueur, lime cordial and cranberry juice over ice in a shaker. Shake until well mixed. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

And if your pregnant, already hungover, or just laying off the sauce, here's a little something for you.....


Pomegranate Mint Muddle

Ingredients

3 large mint leaves, minced

1 cup pineapple juice

Ice cubes

1 tablespoon pomegranate juice

Method

Muddle the mint in a tall glass.  Stir in the pineapple juice. Add enough ice to fill the glass.  Add the pomegranate juice and do not stir. Serve.

Let's spread our love for our family, friends, animals and Mother Earth this Valentine's Day!

The Benefits of Brussels

Hey Pretty Mamas!

As a product of south Georgia southern cookin', I didn't eat a lot of healthy produce growing up.  While the vegetables may have been fresh, once they were buried in butter and bacon, their nutritional value was as negative as my opinion of them.  The only fruit we ate came in a pie or Jello flavor.  So, my interest in healthy foods suffered because of poor preparation.


Flash forward to college, and my new vegan friends are teaching me how to prepare fresh fruits and veggies so that I could actually taste them.  Once I did, I actually liked them.  I learned how to lightly steam string beans and bake sweet potatoes (sanz sour cream).  When I was told the next lesson was brussels sprouts, I had my doubts.  I mean, brussel sprouts were the bane of my, and every kid with taste buds', childhood.  They were so gross, grease couldn't even disguise their heinous flavor.  But now I practically live on them!  In fact, they were one of the few things I craved while pregnant.  And now that I'm breastfeeding, my baby's health is just as important.  Lucky for me, brussel sprouts are one of the best veggies you can eat!


Brussel sprouts, like most vegetables, are low in fat and calories.  However, they are also loaded with protein (2 cups of brussels have more protein than a small cheeseburger and infinitely less fat).  They are also chuck full of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, folacin, potassium, and calcium, which all help protect against cancer, and are essential nutrients needed for your baby during pregnancy.

Here's how I cook them:


*Disclaimer: I believe that there is no exact measurements for cooking veggies, so chop a little extra when you're cooking, so you can taste throughout.


Ingredients:

Organic Brussel Sprouts
Earth Balance Vegetable Spread
Organic Garlic
Organic Onion
Pepper


Directions:


Cut the ends off the brussels sprouts, then cut them in half. Lightly steam the sprouts in a sauce pan.
Once they are steamed to your liking, add a little Earth Balance, onions and garlic and saute, adding pepper to taste. That's it!

Bon Appetit!



***Here's another idea from my cousin, Clay:

"Here's what I'll do, without recipe. Try to find a complete stalk of brussel sprouts (Whole Foods). Slice sprouts lengthwise. Toss lightly in olive oil & pine nuts, sprinkle with sea salt. Arrange sprouts on cookie sheet, bottom side down. Roast, checking every 5 minutes until tender. Don't overcook or undercook. Some recipes call for sprinkled grated cheese, but not me. Serve hot & enjoy! (another recipe....I also prefer to boil sprouts in salted water until tender. Always juicy & hot, this way.....)"

You (and Your Baby) Are What You Eat

Pretty mamas want the best for their  little ones. We spend hours reading about the best way to raise and care for them. So why are so many good babies fed such bad shit??

Buy Organic!  It’s a fact, organic food is better for your baby than mass-produced, genetically modified, pesticide-ridden factory food.  That’s why it costs more!  You may say you can’t afford to buy organic, but can you really afford to not?  According to organic.com, “Before a mother first nurses her newborn, the toxic risk from pesticides has already begun. Studies show that infants are exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals in utero. In fact, our nation is now reaping the results of four generations of exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals, whose safety was deemed on adult tolerance levels, not on children’s.” And the National Academy of Science says neurologic and behavioral effects may result from low-level exposure to pesticides. But don’t take it from me, Pretty Mamas do their own research.  You’ll find numerous studies show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fertility. 

If money is an issue, look into co-ops, local farmers markets, and coupon books for health food stores. Look at your budget and cut out the crap! Do you really need another shade of eyeshadow? And don’t get me started on why you shouldn’t be drinking fancy five dollar frozen coffees in the first place! Is that new shirt more important than the health of your family? Pretty Mamas prioritize!


Don’t eat fast food! I would think that the reasons are obvious, but if you want to ignore the well-documented health risks, then google how often McDonald’s has been fined and sued for breaking child labor laws. Is a Big Mac really worth exploiting a child, mama?  The fast food industry is a leading cause of obesity, the job loss of thousands of small farmers, and the gross side-effects of genetic engineering. And if that’s not enough to make you put down the french fries, read the horrifying ingredients in fast food and tell me you’d want to feed that to your baby. Visit: http://www.fastfoodingredients.com/


And finally, STOP EATING MEAT! And any other animal products for that matter. But if you need to take it slowly, at least stop eating meat. It is destructive to your health, destructive to the environment, and destructive to the animal, especially given the cruel practices of meat production. For more reasons to indulge in an animal-free diet, visit: www.vegansociety.com or www.peta.com


There is nothing prettier than a mama who takes responsibility for her family, her world and all the creatures in it. Start your baby off right by feeding her produce and meals that are farmed and prepared with love and compassion.