Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Getting Juiced! Day 5

Here we are again... Day 5.  Last night was filled with a few cravings for a midnight snack.  I worked the night shift yesterday so my sleep regimen was thrown off a little.  I always find that I need a few hours to wind down after getting home late at night from work before I'm ready for bed.

My hunger center had pretty much subsided until around 11pm when a bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest shredded wheat cereal was calling my name.  I reluctantly never gave in though.  I'm bound and determined to make it all 7 days without consuming any solid food.

Day 5


Breakfast

Apple, Pear, and Romaine Juice
-  1 green apple
-  2 pears
-  1 heart of romaine lettuce
-  1 piece ginger (thumbsize)


Before pic...

























After pic...




















Although this juice may look unappetizing it wasn't that shabby.  Its appearance reminds me somewhat of a root beer float after the ice cream is mostly melted.  And although it didn't taste anything like a root beer float it did taste decent.  Not fantastic, not awful, but just ok.

This morning did not bring as much bounce to my step as yesterday.  I'm owing that to the sleeping schedule.  I usually try to hit the hay around 10:30pm but it was well after midnight before I managed to climb into bed.  Tonight I should be back on track though.

I did head out for a mid-morning walk in hopes that it would bring some life back into me.  But with the temperature here on the west coast of Florida sitting at 88 degrees and the humidity hovering around 85% it made the "feels like" temperature 100 degrees.  Needless to say, my walk only succeeded in draining me even more.  I made sure to drink a good 24 oz of ice cold water when I got back to rehydrate myself.  That helped some.

Lunch

Cucumber, Apple, and Celery Juice
-  2 small apples
-  1 cucumber
-  3 stalks celery
-  2 handfuls of turnip greens
-  1 piece ginger (thumbsize)

The building blocks...





















The final project...




















This green drink wasn't too bad.  Packed with phytonutrients, especially from the turnip greens, I'd probably give it a 6 out of 10.  Like any green drink they are not always the sweetest but I've found that adding a little ginger helps keep the stomach under control when consuming these drinks.  Ginger has been used for years to help alleviate nausea along with a host of other health benefits.

I felt a little more re-energized after lunch which was a plus.  I needed that after the morning!

Afternoon Snack



I stopped off at one of my local favorites this afternoon for a snack - RawkStar Cafe.  Adam and Karen are the owners and they're so friendly and welcoming.  This place is truly a hidden treasure of nutrient-rich raw foods, desserts, smoothies, and organic loose leaf teas.  They also specialize in one of my favorite treats - chocolate!  Man, was it hard not to give in to my temptations and devour one of their raw cacoa brownies.  They're so good!  Oh well, maybe another day.


Mixed Berry, Blueberry, Brown Rice Protein Smoothie
-  8 oz brazil nut milk
-  1/2 cup frozen organic mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries)
-  1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries
-  1 large handful organic baby spinach
-  1 scoop Sunwarrior sprouted brown rice protein
-  1 tsp Sunwarrior Ormus Greens (oat grass, barley and wheat grass, alfalfa, yucca, parsley, spinach,
   probiotic culture, peppermint, whole leaf stevia)


















This smoothie was incredible!  I love the berry mixture in here and the added protein gave it some substance which I haven't been used to for a majority of my meals.  I felt like I was in heaven for a short time while gulping this down.  I was definitely sad to see the bottom of my cup once it was gone.

Dinner

Apple, Beet, Celery, and Cucumber Juice
-  2 small apples
-  1 beet
-  3 celery stalks
-  1/2 cucumber
-  1/2 lime

Before pic...

























After pic...




















This juice was not easy to get down.  I was hoping the apples and lime would simmer down the overpowering beet taste but this attempt didn't quite cut it.  I finished the entire 1 1/2 glasses of juice this recipe made though.  At least it's packed with antioxidants.

Evening Snack

Strawberry Smoothie
-  1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
-  1 tbsp ground flaxseed
-  1/2 cup almond milk
-  1/2 cup water




















What a great way to end the night!  This really satisfied my taste buds and it's loaded with vitamin C with all the strawberries.  I got a nice dose of omega-3's as well with the ground flaxseed (Bob's Red Mill Ground Flaxseed Meal).

I can sum up day 5 by telling the tale of two mini days.  The morning was rough.  I felt like I hit a huge road block with my energy level and mental clarity.  I felt like I was in a fog almost for a few hours especially during my walk outside in the grueling heat this morning.  But once I made it through lunch and added in an additional smoothie in the afternoon I felt like a million bucks!  The second half of the day was loaded with energy and I even managed to work a little on my book that I'm writing on the power of plant-based nutrition and it's effect on one's overall health.  I hope to have it out within the next 1-2 years (I just started writing).

I also realized today that my digestive tract has been a really happy camper through this whole process.  I normally eat a fair amount of whole grains and whole wheat products which I think are still part of a healthy diet in moderate amounts.  However, I've noticed when I eat wheat products in particular I experience a slight uncomfortableness afterwards in my digestive tract.  Nothing that would make you consciously think of something really painful just a less than pleasant fullness feeling. Since I've been juicing and drinking smoothies I haven't experienced that feeling anymore.  I've never been tested or diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity but I may be on to something.  After this is all done I plan on eating less whole wheat products and more raw fruits and veggies.

Well that's all for tonight... on to what I hope is a better night's sleep.  Day 6 is right around the corner!  Only two more days left of my 7 day challenge.  I can't wait for tomorrow!

Other Getting Juiced updates below:

Day 1 - Getting Juiced!
Day 2 - Getting Juiced!
Day 3 - Getting Juiced!
Day 4 - Getting Juiced!
Day 6 - Getting Juiced!
Day 7 - Getting Juiced!








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by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

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2 comments:

  1. Keep it up, Dustin! You are doing great! I went for a run with my pups @ 7:00 am this morning, and we all had issues. It was like running through a steam bath. Keep up the momentum! You are almost finished!

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  2. Glad you are sticking to it. Two questions, I know you were at your ideal weight when you started with this restrictive diet, have you lost any weight? and about how many calories per day are you consuming?

    P.S.- really appreciate all the recipes

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