Thursday, January 20, 2011

Detox & Feel Great: My neighbor Ann gives the details of following a detox


Goop detox journal ~ Ann




Day 1


Today I woke up energetic and ready to start the 5 day GOOP Detox. Went running and began with a shot of aloe and alkaline purified water, along with chlorophyll! Ok, could tolerate the aloe today...but not sure how it will go down on day 5. The chlorophyll combined with water was still very green…bad aftertaste. Surprisingly, I was ok and satisfied till mid-morning when I got my first Doc Broc’s (or as I used, a container of green powder-veggie greens-bought at my local health food store). Horrible! Tasted as lake water smells. In fact, lake water may be better. 20 min later we had our first green juice (Young Love)…where did they come up with these words! Definitely not my love! Not as bad as the green powder/water…but not great. Still excited though…in this for the 5 days. Anxiously waiting lunch for the lemon-lime shake (delicious!) and the Young Alive Green Shake (not so delicious) but I was able to choke it down. Satisfied and feeling a bit bloated, I was content till the afternoon snack (Mellow love green juice). I had a difficult time choking this one down. The parsley puts it over the top. Of course it was also time for another helping of green powder/water. Since I did not make the carrot soup, I substituted 4 baby carrots chewed till they went down smooth….figured it is pretty close to the soup which is supposed to be served raw. After basically juices all day other than a couple carrots, I was very anxious for the salad. Loved it! Just wanted something of substance…chewing never felt so good! Although I am a caffeine addict, I barely suffered from a dull headache for 3 hours today. My energy level was good, but still feel like I need some protein of some sort. Whew! Got thru day one! Going to bed early so I don’t have to think about food anymore!




Day 2


Ok, now I know what I am in for. Not as excited to drink green juice today, but keep reminding myself it will be worth it! My energy level in the morning was a bit low, but still went running. One girl in our group of 4 already dropped out. Definitely is not an easy detox to follow. The foods are very expensive, as well as the extras you need. I was able to drink all the juices today and still looked forward to lunch for the lemon lime shake. I felt a bit hungry this afternoon but not hungry enough to enjoy the afternoon snack juice! Horrible again! Definitely the toughest for me. Anxiously awaiting a salad for dinner! Between all of this was still able to put down over a gallon of purified water. Not in the bathroom yet…what’s up!? Energy is low and my back is aching today. Dull headache, but tolerable. Hope tomorrow I get this boost of energy they talk about.




Day 3


With 2 days in, I was anxious to move on to day 3. Not sure what to expect…I heard the energy starts to kick in and you begin feeling alive (and probably turning green by now). Barely slept last night due to major lower back pain…radiating down my legs and overall muscle soreness. Got up at 5am to Google it and see what is going on. Definitely looks to be a symptom from detox according to some. Toxins from the colon being releases….great! After searching more found that caffeine withdrawal also leads to back pain and muscle pain. Guess it could be a bit of both in my case. Either way, hope it is nearing an end. Otherwise today I felt pretty good. Tummy is flat…which was expected after juicing it for 2 days…what’s left. Surprisingly not in the bathroom yet as I expected! Where is all this green juice going??? Waiting…. Glad day 3 is done. Able to get all the juices down and felt satisfied. Most difficult drink by far is the green powder mixed in water. Still horrible. Oh, and cucumbers, use to be a favorite, cannot really stand the smell of them anymore.




Day 4


This morning all I could think of was…only 2 more days. I have to say, I am getting kind of use to this green diet though. Still up half the night, tossing and turning due to low back pain. Is this ever going to go away? Amazed that I am not more tired throughout the day with little sleep compared to my usual seven and a half hours that I must get! Must be all the energy from the green powder (lake water as I refer to it) and the vitamins from all the greens. I am really not hungry, nor do I have any cravings. One of the most difficult things is not eating off my kids plates (as I usually finish their plates or take nibbles as I make it). I have definitely become more aware of every unhealthy bite I put into my mouth here and there throughout the day. Well, one more day…




Day 5


This is it! I could probably do another 2 days of this…seriously! (Ok, getting a bit cocky now) Really, though, it is not that bad. The beginning of the week was definitely harder for me. My stomach has shrunk and I don’t think I could eat normal food right now. I will have to ease back into eating. I slept last night! All night! The back ache has finally left me! I have energy, my tummy has slimmed down and I have lost 6 ½ pounds! My skin is clearing up and I am finally seeing the benefits of all this green juice! This was not an easy detox, but worth it I would say. I would recommend it to anyone looking to jump start themselves. My goal would be to do this detox 2 times per year. My suggestion to all would be to give it a try…but if you do, don’t think for one moment it will be easy. Don’t give in…don’t cheat…be strict…it will pay off! Good Luck!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Greatest Soup Ever!!!


Okay I am going to give up one of the greatest soup recipes of all time. My sister-in-law Connie gave this one to me so I cannot take credit. This with some cornbread on a cold winter day is so fantastic. You should make extra to pop in the freezer.




Sami’s Spicy Squash Soup


1 Butternut Squash 2 Cloves Garlic


1 Carrot 1 Cup Spicy Tomato Juice


1 Onion 2 TBLP Olive Oil


1 Celery stalk 1 Tsp Chili Powder


1 Red Pepper Salt & Pepper


1 Yellow Pepper 2 cups vegetable stock


1/2 Green Pepper Feta or Goat cheese or a vegan variety.




Preheat oven 350. Cut squash in half, scrape seeds, and brush with olive oil season and bake for 45-60 minutes until fork goes in smoothly. Chop up all veggies and onion saute medium until soft. Add tomato juice and simmer for 3 minutes. Let everything cool a bit throw squash (taken out of skin) and all veggies into food processor or Vita Mixer. Transfer to soup pot and add 2 cups vegetable stock and warm-up. Serve and add cheese on top.