You are what you eat

A Salty Woman Goes Low(er) Sodium

A few months ago I ended up in the hospital with a serious health condition. Things are more or less under control now, but I found out the hard way that I need to be careful of my sodium intake.

Upon discharge from the hospital, I was told that there were no constraints on my diet as long as I ate a healthy variety of foods. This was true in most ways. But on a five-day camping trip during which I ate more salt than usual, I discovered that I really do need to be careful when it comes to salt. I swelled up like a balloon, adding 5 or 6 pounds of water weight in about 4 days, which made me very uncomfortable due to the bloat and grotesquely swollen feet and ankles, plus edema in my lower legs.

For most Americans, the salt shaker is the least of worries when it comes to excess sodium. That's because most of our salt is found in the foods we buy from supermarket shelves, deli counters, and fast food places.  Take a look at the food labels on processed foods, or look up some of your favorite fast foods or processed meats on the Internet. You'll quickly get a grasp of just how much salt you're getting even from otherwise healthy foods (for example, a 12-ounce can of V-8 juice contains 920 mg of salt!). While the most commonly seen figure for safe salt intake is 2300 mg per day, a lot of us should be aiming for more like 1500 mg per day. That can be a challenge.

I'm one of those fortunate people who has always required less salt than most people for my food to taste good. It's common, when I serve meals to guests, for me to say "You'll probably want to add some salt," because I've learned that my salt sensor seems to be more sensitive than most people's. I'm also lucky that I don't eat fast foods (maybe some McDonald's fries once in a blue moon) or, for the most part, buy processed foods or cured meats. Like just about everybody else, though, I do occasionally like salty snacks, crave a salami sandwich or a BLT, and buy items like canned tomatoes that have quite a bit of salt added. 

On my vacation I ate a lot of salty foods in a short time: roasted salted peanuts, salt and vinegar chips, summer sausage, hot dogs, dill pickles, breakfast sausage, V-8 juice . . . on and on. Boy, did it ever take a toll. It took me several days to get rid of the water I retained, even with taking an extra diuretic (I've been prescribed two Lasix per day as it is). I keep track of my weight daily because of my health condition, so seeing it spike by several pounds was a little alarming. I immediately thought of salt and began my research on the Internet.

Since then I've been experimenting with low-sodium versions of foods I often purchase. I find that low-sodium tomato juice and V-8 taste just fine to me. At first I added a little bit of Mrs. Dash's salt-free blend, but found I didn't really need it. I'm eating low-sodium Triscuits and saltines with unsalted tops (I use saltines mostly as carriers of peanut butter or thinly sliced cheese, anyway, which has enough salt in it). We've experimented with salt-free blends and "lite" salt, which has 50% less sodium in it, the rest being potassium, and it works great on corn on the cob. Snacks that seem salty because the salt is on the surface often turn out to be not that bad--they taste really salty because the salt is right there on top. Still, I've switched to veggie straws and unsalted roasted sunflower seeds for when I get the munchies. And I doubt that I'll ever eat another reuben! Low-sodium bacon is just fine; we'd bought some not even knowing it was low-sodium and had been eating it as BLTs before I even noticed the packaging. 

Soda pop has quite a bit of sodium in a drink which is already bad for you, but luckily I don't drink pop. I like carbonated water and unsweetened green or black iced tea. (Drinking plenty of fluids is important in avoiding water retention, counter-intuitive though that may seem.)

I realize that it's been easier for me to go low-sodium because most of my cooking is from scratch, so I have control over what goes into the food. Plus, I don't use salt to make up for the lack of flavor or cover the off-taste of convenience foods. I can freeze portions of homemade soup rather than depend on the incredibly salt-laden canned soups. Although it requires some commitment and prioritizing, doing your own cooking is a significant factor in lowering sodium intake. 

And it's not like I can never eat another dill pickle. What I do, instead, is keep track of what I'm eating--it becomes very easy to do this mentally--and not eat Y after I've had X because I can't afford the salt. It all comes down to making sensible choices, whether snacking at home or ordering lunch in a restaurant. I don't feel deprived in any way because I can always make the decision about what to eat or even whether I want to risk the water retention, which, while uncomfortable, isn't going to kill me. Salt intake may be have a much more significant effect for some people than mere water retention, though.

Recently I found out that too much sugar can also lead to water retention--again, thanks to an unpleasant experience--but that's another story.

Growing up before fast food

I grew up in a rural area where there was no fast food to be found. In fact, at that time, there weren't many fast food places. I remember an A & W opening up in a not-too-distant town--my sister and I once talked my dad into taking us there (he hated it)--and there were probably a couple of other drive-ins somewhere or other, but it didn't matter much because we lived too far away for any such places to be convenient.

My parents ran a grocery store and worked long hours. There were times when my mom just didn't have the time or energy to make much of a dinner. There are two fast dinners I particularly remember her counting on at such times.

One was a big bowl of scrambled eggs tossed with squares of cooked bacon. You know that theme song to Frasier, "Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs"? That was dinner on busy days.

The other was a summer dish, usually. It was chilled canned red salmon, chunked and tossed with onion slices and vinegar. I don't recall what accompanied it. My sisters and I liked to get bits of the vertebrae and eat them. Turns out the calcium was good for us. 

I'm sure if it weren't for my dad and his insistence on certain kinds of dinner, my mother would have appreciated being able to serve Campbell's tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, but that was for lunch only. Why Dad was okay with scrambled eggs or canned salmon for dinner and not soup and sandwiches is beyond me. 

Usually Mom came home in time to make a real dinner of meat, potatoes, salad, and a vegetable. I remember eating that meal almost every night while I was growing up. We rarely went out to eat, and when we did, it was a very special treat, an occasion. Not until I was in my teens did fast food become a part of my life, but it never became a part of my parents' lives.

These days the DH and I don't patronize fast food places, except, very occasionally, for Subway and the pizza from the local party store. I do make breakfast for dinner now and then, and when I do, I never fail to think of my mom and the big bowl of eggs. 

Everybody has a failure once in a while, right? Right?

I offer this post as a corrective for all those readers who think that food bloggers never fail in the kitchen. Or so it would seem when you read around on the blogs and other food sites. Of course the truth is that only the successes get written up. 

So let me tell you about my major FAIL a couple of nights ago.

I'd decided to make eggdrop soup, chicken fried rice, and napa cabbage salad with Asian dressing. I had leftover chicken and I hadn't made fried rice in ages. The last time I'd made eggdrop soup was in our old house, and we've lived in our current home for 14 years. The salad was new, something I'd not made before.

All in all, I was really looking forward to this meal. But, well, the best-laid plans . . . 

First, I'd postponed the meal by one night, which meant that I didn't trust the leftover chicken to still be safe to eat. I threw it out and got a boneless, skinless chicken breast out of the freezer. So far, so good.

I meant to cook the rice early in the day so it would have time to chill. Chilled is best for fried rice. Alas, I forgot about it until late afternoon. When I did get the rice on, it simply wouldn't get tender. I kept adding water and letting it simmer a little longer, until I'd spent about 40 minutes and still ended up with some hardness in the center of each grain. Not crunchy, exactly, but not tender, either. 

In desperation, I filled the pot with water and boiled the rice. Unfortunately, it came out as a lump of mush. Nonetheless I drained it and hoped for the best. What a relief when it came out better (somewhat) than it initially looked. 

On to the soup. Back in the day, I'd made this soup countless times, effortlessly and perfectly. Even the first time I made it, the soup came out great. So it was with confidence that I began. I had my little bowl of sesame oil and cornstarch-and-water, and my bowl of beaten egg and vegetable oil. The chicken stock was simmering away on the stove. Too bad I got confused and put the egg in first, rather than the cornstarch mixture.

I threw that batch away and started over. Judging by the taste, I used a tablespoon rather than a teaspoon of sesame oil in the cornstarch mixture, which gave the eventual "soup," if it could be dignified by that name, a rather overwhelming sesame taste. At least I got the mixture into the pot first. 

I thought the stock was plenty hot and removed the pot from the heat in order to add in the egg. The egg should sort of flash cook, and then as it does, one draws a spoon or chopsticks through the floaty stuff and lovely chiffony ribbons of egg should appear.

This did not happen. The only thing I can figure out is that either I hadn't let the stock thicken enough before adding the egg, or the stock wasn't actually as hot as I thought it was. My husband liked the soup anyway, but I dumped my portion down the drain.

The only thing that turned out really well was the salad, and really, who can mess up a salad? 

It's been a while since I turned out such a major disappointment of a meal, but I guess it can happen to anybody once in a while. So take heart if this sort of thing has happened to you. One day perhaps I'll write about the days of trying a macrobiotic diet and the disaster that was oat soup . . .

Sure has been a long time ...

... since I wrote anything on this blog. Almost two years, alas.

Right now I'm finishing a page I'd meant to write ages ago, on how it IS possible to cook whole foods even if, like most of us, you're a busy, busy person. If you haven't at least skimmed my pages on unprocessed foods (they're listed over there in the left column), I hope you'll do so. The final page should be up within a day or two.

Don't have much news from the homestead. We had a pretty good strawberry crop this year, which was lovely, as last year's didn't amount to much. On the other hand, our asparagus crop was nothing to brag about.

Of the herbs I planted, the oregano is doing well--it's Greek oregano, so aromatic and flavorful--and it's doing well mainly because James erected a fence around it. Last year I planted some and the bunnies got all 6 plants. I planted 8 parsley plants a few weeks ago, but they didn't last long ... looked out the window one day and there wasn't a leaf to be seen. Ah well, I guess the bunnies have to eat! Just not the oregano ...

I still have not transplanted my basil seedlings into the herb garden. We had some cool weather for a while there, and basil really does not like temps down in the 40s. It's plenty hot now, though, so hopefully I'll get those in the ground today.

I am really hoping to get back into the blogging. The last few years have been rough in terms of stress and loss, but I'm thinking I might be a bit closer to my old self.

We'll see.

 

Ending the juice fast

To make a long story short (or shorter, in any case), I ended the juice fast early. I did it for 7 days instead of 10.

(My reasons for discontinuing the daily blogging of the fast had nothing to do with becoming disenchanted with the fast or fearing that I wouldn't finish the ten days. Let's just say that sometimes life hands you a rough patch.)

The morning of Day Eight, I realized that I didn't want to continue, so . . .  I didn't.  I'd read, and heard, that the first few days were the hardest, but that wasn't true for me. The first few days were really easy, and at the halfway mark, I was confident that it would be a breeze to finish the 10 days.

What happened was that I craved protein and carbs. My first foods off the fast were a boiled egg and a bunch of peanut butter-spread saltines. My daughter laughed when I told her what I'd eaten after deciding to ditch the fast. "It figures" was what she said (more or less).

I have no regrets about starting the fast or about quitting early. I will do a juice fast again, because it really was good for me. I felt good while fasting, and I looked good. In the meanwhile, I'll be juicing regularly as part of my usual eating habits. And I do think that making an extreme departure from one's usual eating habits can kick-start a healthier way of eating--for some people, anyway. 

What I learned on the fast:

1. It's really important to put the pitcher at the end of the spout where the juice comes out of the machine. If you forget (say early in the morning when you're a little groggy), it's messy.
2. If you're going to go off caffeine, do it before you start the fast itself. I had to do it gradually because of vicious caffeine-withdrawal headaches. Take that possibility into consideration.
3. Mean Green is not only palatable, it grows on you, especially if you tamper a little with the ingredient  amounts and add a pinch of salt. Who knew liquefied kale could be so tasty?
4. In fact, vegetable juices overall are really underrated. They don't get the respect they deserve. I know that I used to be revolted by the very idea of carrot juice. I was an idiot. Raw juices are delicious and you can practically feel the vitality pouring into your body.
5. But overcoming the strangeness of smelling beets or spinach in your glass might take a little time. Stay with it, because you'll get over it.
6. A juice fast will not leave you weak, tired, and hungry. At least it didn't leave me that way.
7. A juice fast will have you trying fruits and veggies you may never have tried before.  And that's a good thing.
8. I started to crave protein around the end of Day Six. Not sure I can overcome that in future fasts. This is just my experience; I'm sure every experience with a juice fast is different. And I don't think omitting protein for the length of a brief fast has any ill effects. I'm talking about cravings only, not malnutrition.
9. I'm definitely not consigning the juicer to the basement or the closet. I love the raw juices and will continue to use the juicer. I've got a great track record when it comes to actually using the kitchen gadgets I buy, and this will be no exception.
10. A macerating juicer (the kind my daughter has) really is better than a centrifugal one (mine). However, for the money, I'm not sorry about my choice of juicer. Previously, the price of juicers only added to my reluctance to try the whole juicing thing. I may trade up in the future, though.
11. Having a compost pile is a great idea if you're going to juice regularly. Lots of trimmings, plus lots of pulp. Why let it go to waste?

So, if you've got the means, I'd really recommend juicing and a juice fast of whatever length. If you can afford it, juicing will ensure that you get the veggies your body needs (and probably craves, if you're eating the SAD [standard American diet] way). Vitamin supplements are all very well, and I take them myself, but they can't replace actual plants with all their micronutrients.

If you decide to take the plunge, I'd love to hear about your own experience. You can also join the Reboot Your Life community and see what others have to say, as well as check out what it's all about.

Bon appetit! 

 [cross-posted to View from the Loft]

Day Six: Halfway there

Five days down, five (including this one) to go.

Cynical thoughts. Dark thoughts.

If you're wondering whether I've considered that Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead--the film that started me juicing--is a marketing ploy, wonder no longer. Of course I've considered it. I mean, what a great way to sell juicers! Breville, the manufacturer of the juicer I eventually bought, is partnered with the film on film's website. For all I know, they may have helped fund the making of the movie.

It's almost impossible not to be interested in the phenomenon of juicing after you see the film and the incredible progress toward health on the part of Phil, a truck driver Joe stumbles upon at a truck stop. I really didn't know until a few days ago that cleansing and juicing are rather trendy. Well, I had heard from friends about "cleansing," but I was skeptical about it, and still am. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, juicing has also been big. I hadn't really thought much about it until I saw the documentary. I knew the raw-food people were into it, and alternative health gurus like Dr. Mercola and Mike Adams, but I didn't know it had gone beyond fringe status. If juicing hadn't found a larger foothold before Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, that film surely does the trick.

And Joe Cross, the filmmaker--what about him? He was a day trader, and he's now an investor. He makes a lot of money. Did he make a trustworthy film, or is it some kind of scam?

That's how I usually think when a wealthy individual is at the center of something. But it's kind of hard to maintain the attitude when you read Joe's own words, for example here and here. I urge you to follow those links to understand what the film is about and, perhaps, to understand a little about Joe himself.  

So, yeah, there's probably a marketing angle. I'd still recommend the film.

My other dark thoughts have to do with self-indulgence. It seems self-indulgent, buying a juicer, buying produce to juice. In the United States we have whole food deserts--residential areas where people have no access to fresh food--and here I am throwing good food into a juicer and, instead of eating the whole food, drinking the juice. Realistically speaking, this is a luxury that many Americans simply cannot afford. They can't afford the juicer itself, and they can't afford the fresh food that I cavalierly throw into the juicer. And if they do buy these foods, they would certainly use the whole vegetable or fruit. It would be wasteful not to.  

And yet. We know that people who can afford good food often don't choose to purchase it. The constant marketing of processed food, the advertising by fast-food chains, and the very ubiquity of that marketing and those chains have led Americans to some very poor food choices. Not only that, our palates have been trained to prefer junk food over real food.

I think that's why Joe Cross's drastic method works for people like Phil. Sometimes we're just not able to free ourselves of bad habits by doing what the medical establishment invariably recommends: eat a sensible diet, lose weight slowly, cut down on calories, eliminate junk food. Sometimes it's easier to do something so extreme that you don't even have to make the choices. I find that to be true, anyway. I'm on a juice fast, so solid food isn't even tempting because I've made that commitment. (Wine, on the other hand ...) Not only that, but this way, if you're not a vegetable eater, you're going to get your veggies regardless of how you feel about them. Most people know they should eat more plants, but what they want is a Big Mac and fries. Well, if you commit to a juice fast, the Big Mac isn't an option, and you are going to get your veggies in concentrated form. I wonder if doing the "reboot" helps to re-orient the palate toward the natural and away from the processed. Interesting question.

And then, variety. In my case, boredom alone with the few recipes that come from the film has made me experiment. I don't know if I've ever eaten fennel, but I juiced some yesterday, and it was good. Getting people to try vegetables and fruits they've never eaten can only be a good thing.

So, although I do feel uncomfortable with being part of something that feels so faddish, and I do feel uncomfortable with what smacks of self-indulgence, I'm going to finish out my fast and keep juicing afterward. It's such a great way to eat more vegetables, with their abundance of vitamins, antioxidants, and micronutrients whose significance we don't even yet know.

Dark thoughts, begone!

Yesterday's juices:

• orange, beet, carrot
• tomato, carrot, red bell pepper, parsley
• spinach, fennel, cucumber, celery

Over the hump. It's downhill from here!

[cross posted at View from the Loft]

Day Five

At the end of the day, I'll be halfway through my juice fast.

But I have a confession to make. Last night I gave into temptation and had not one but two glasses of wine with James. He'd opened a nice bottle, it was Friday night, and, well ...

I regret it. Alcohol is quite a toxin and certainly should never be imbibed while on a fast, especially one that purports to be detoxifying. It makes no sense.

But I learned something from this. Namely, I'm really feeling the toxicity thing. For the first time in I don't know when (not counting the cold I just had), I woke up in a fog, mind clouded and head not quite aching, but feeling like it might go there. I won't fall off the wagon again during this fast, I guarantee. I was feeling so good yesterday, all cold symptoms gone but an occasional dry cough, and then I did something stupid. Sigh. I'm really good at undermining myself.

At least I didn't make the all-caffeinated coffee I really, really wanted this morning. I stuck with the mostly-decaf. Next time I fast--if I do--I'll wean myself off the caffeine before the fast.

Anyway, before my tragic fall, it was off to the supermarket to replenish my supply of produce. This time I knew to get two bags of Granny Smiths, not one, and to buy lots of beets, not just a few. It turns out that I just love beets in a juice combo. Who knew? And lots of tomatoes. James wants to see how close we can get to V8 juice. I tell him it won't be the same, because the juice will be raw, not cooked, but he is undeterred and says he realizes that, but still. I'm hoping to get to the farmer's market today and see what I might get, including tomatoes. You can't have too many tomatoes.

I had a thought the other day about juice combinations: the Flavor Bible is my friend.  In this book, you can look up any ingredient and see what other ingredients taste good with it. Some of the combinations are rather surprising (cherries and garlic?). I've used the book to put salads together and to be sure that in my zest for experimentation I don't blunder into terrible flavor combinations. And now I've thought of using this book for juicing. It might suggest to me combinations I would otherwise not think of. And prevent me from wasting produce on disastrous concoctions.

We were talking yesterday about how strange it is to be drinking, say, kale juice, and how in the past the idea of going to a juice bar seemed laughably health-nuttish and extremely unappealing. See what a closed mind gets you? It makes you miss out on things.

Here are yesterday's juices:

• orange, carrot, and beet
• Green Lemonade (see Day Four)
• Mean Green (see Day Two)

If you're thinking that a juice fast would make you feel tired and weak, think again. I had lots of energy yesterday and was in great spirits, and I'm looking forward to accomplishing a lot this weekend.

And the beat goes on . , ,

[cross-posted to View from the Loft]

Day Four

And the experiment continues ...

I've been trying to find solid information about this whole business of cleansing and detoxing (particularly through fasting), and I can't find much that's useful. The usual suspects tell their usual stories: conventional medicine finds fasting dangerous and counterproductive and insists that our bodies regularly do all the detoxifying that's necessary, while alternative medicine lauds the idea of giving our bodies a good flushing out of all the toxins that supposedly build up.

As someone who's extremely skeptical of conventional medical voices, I'm not really scared by their dire warnings. Yes, on a fast one will not get proper nutrition insofar as there's not much protein, fat, or calcium intake, but for 10 days, I doubt that this matters much. No, fasting isn't for everyone. No, it's not something I think one should undertake for a long period of time (as in Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead) without supervision. The trouble is, where is this supervision to come from? Most conventional doctors will be against the whole idea and won't lend any support to such an undertaking.

It's true, too, that much of the weight loss with fasting is due to water loss. This is probably one reason for the advice to drink lots of water on the fast. (I know I've been losing water like crazy.) Conventional medicine warns also that on a fast, it's not fat that's lost, but "precious muscle." Really? On just a 10-day fast? I'm skeptical. Yes, for longer periods, that would be a concern, but for a short period? I've got quite a bit of fat for my body to draw on before it starts taking muscle.

I also understand that juice fasting isn't a good way to lose weight, especially for those who really need a long-term change in diet and in attitudes toward food. For me, doing a fast was a way to break out of a bad pattern of drinking alcohol nearly every day and occasionally bingeing on food. I never used to binge, but over the past couple of years have found myself doing so from time to time due to stress. I think that sometimes an interruption in one's usual routine is useful just to disrupt those patterns.

On the other hand, alternative medicine comes up short regarding scientific evidence for its claims. It's easy for people to believe they need to detoxify, given all the crap most of us ingest on a daily basis, not to mention pollutants and so on. But where's the scientific evidence? I will continue to Google but so far I've had no success finding evidence. Still, while it's true that the liver, kidneys, etc. are made for detoxifying the body, maybe if the body is overloaded these organs could use a little help. But again, where's the evidence?

One thing's for sure: a juice fast gets lots of veggies and fruit into a person. And that can make you aware of just what you've been missing, as well as the variety of produce out there. For me, the juicer means I'll be drinking fresh, not packaged (and pasteurized) juices. I can also see my having a green drink for lunch after I'm off the fast. These are things I'd not considered before my experiment, and they will be unquestionably healthy changes.

So I'm continuing, regardless of the argument over the usefulness of a juice fast.

Right now I'm sipping a glass of orange-carrot-beet juice. What a great way to get your veggies! Sure, I know we need the fiber, too, but it's nice to get the vitamins and phytonutrients so easily and with so little bulk. It can be a challenge to get as many veggies as we should, and this sure is an easy way to do it. And there is some soluble fiber even in the juices.

Yesterday James mentioned that it was strange not to have our usual routine around meals--his coming home to see me at the stove preparing dinner and so on. And I told him I missed cooking, too. He's been eating leftovers (the first couple of days) and simple things like salads with boiled egg and, last night, a quesadilla and refried beans that I made for him. I keep asking him what he'd like me to cook for the rest of the fast, and he keeps telling me he'll think about it. Sigh.

All in all, I haven't been suffering (I'm terrible at suffering. I avoid it). I'm sleeping okay (for me), I'm not having cravings, and I'm having fun trying out different combinations in the juicer. James tastes any I make if he's around, and even if they taste a bit out of the ordinary, says, "None of these has been bad."

Yesterday's juices:

• apple, pear, cherry, and a handful of leftover blueberries
• Green Lemonade (apple, spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, lemon)
• Salsa in a Glass (see Day Two) 
• All Green (lettuce, kale, spinach, parsley, celery, lemon, ginger)

Next time I'll add fresh mint to the Green Lemonade. I added half a green bell pepper to the "lemonade" and also to the Salsa in a Glass. Nice addition to both, although I should have increased the amount of tomato in the Salsa.

Time to go shopping for produce. This time I'm planning on some fruits I never buy, like mangos and papayas, to try out for breakfast juices. And I'll need two bags of Granny Smiths, not just one.

Till tomorrow ...

[cross posted on View from the Loft}

Day Three

So here I am, beginning Day Three of my experiment.

Except for a lingering lassitude, I seem to be just about over the cold I had yesterday. I don't credit the veggies and fruit for that--it's pretty much the way my immune system works. Of course, I'm sure the vitamin C I took in helped a bit.

Along with drinking orange juice, I made hibiscus tea yesterday and drank it over ice. Hibiscus, the main ingredient in Red Zinger tea, is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants and has been shown to lower blood pressure. It's very tart, so I added some stevia to it. No caffeine, no calories, and beneficial to boot. My blood pressure is on the high side and I would really like to avoid blood pressure medication. Yeah, I know: get some exercise!

I'm going to need to buy some more produce shortly. I'm going to try hard to stick with organic, although that's not always possible. If buying all-organic isn't possible for your budget, allocating your dollars to the organic variety of the "dirtiest" veggies and fruits--those that tend to be loaded with pesticides--is a good alternative. Especially on a juice fast, where the object is to detoxify your body, avoiding pesticides is a priority.

Here are the "dirty dozen" according to the USDA, Consumer Reports, and The Environmental Working Group:

• celery
• peaches
• strawberries
• apples
• blueberries
• nectarines
• bell peppers
• spinach
• cherries
• kale/collard greens
• potatoes
• grapes (imported)

Produce with the lowest levels of pesticide (the "clean fifteen") are these:

• onions
• avocados
• sweet corn
• pineapples
• mangoes
• sweet peas
• asparagus
• kiwis
• cabbage
• eggplant
• cantaloupes
• watermelons
• grapefruit
• sweet potatoes
• honeydew melons

Whether you're juicing or just trying to choose the best fruits and vegetables for your meals, being aware of what most needs to be purchased organic can help you avoid toxins without totally wrecking your budget. 

Of course, buying locally from organic gardeners and farmers, and buying in season, is always your best bet.

I didn't have any hunger pangs yesterday, possibly because my appetite was down due to the cold. I had only two juice drinks yesterday:

• orange, beet, and carrot
• orange, lemon, celery, tomato, red onion, and radish

I know--the second one looks weird. But it was actually very good. The onion really made the drink! I was just what I needed, feeling all clogged up with the darn cold. I didn't have any appetite around dinnertime so I just drank water.

I've now lost a bit over two pounds. I know that high-speed weight loss is not the answer to keeping the weight off. Usually keeping the weight off isn't a big deal for me, but a series of stressful events and situations pushed me (or I let myself fall) into some binge eating that really added the pounds (about ten) over the last couple of years. I also wanted to try "cleansing," which I've never done before and, frankly, have always been skeptical of. After seeing Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, though, I thought I'd give it a try.

Phil, from the documentary, advises people to stick with juicing for the first four days because around day four, any detox effects are gone and feeling good starts. I haven't really had any problems and at this point am feeling fairly confident that I can do this for ten days. I'm really enjoying experimenting with juice combinations and I'm loving the juices.

On with day three!

[cross-posted to View from the Loft]

Day Two

I'm beginning Day Two of the juice fast. Alas, I realized last night that I was coming down with a cold. I had that bodily fatigue that comes with a cold, plus a scratchy throat. I don't feel well this morning, but I hope my immune system does its usual thing and I'll be pretty much over it by tonight.

You might be thinking, "See what happens when you stop eating and go off on some cockamamie fad?" But I tend to think I'm ill because I was recently exposed to the cold virus.

There can be side effects to a juice fast, or even a reboot that follows a five-days-eating-veggies/fruit, five-days-fasting, five-days-eating-veggies/fruit pattern (seems to be the "standard" reboot). These side effects, to quote the Reboot FAQ, can include "fatigue, headache, low blood sugar, constipation or diarrhea, increased body odor or bad breath." Some people complain of light-headedness and even nausea. I've had none of these symptoms and don't expect any.

Some of those possible side effects are said to come from the body releasing toxins from where they are stored. I am not familiar enough with the science to know how true this is, but if it's true, I'm pretty confident I won't have any problems. I believe the side effects would be worse for people who eat the SAD way (standard American diet). At chez D'Arcy, we mostly avoid processed foods, don't eat fast food, buy organic when we can, and eat only grass-fed beef and the most humanely raised chicken we can find along with copious amounts of veggies. So I'm not starting out with a load of toxins in my system compared to a lot of Americans.  Well, except for groundwater pollution, ugly chemicals in the environment, etc.

On the other hand ... coffee and alcohol. I'm not supposed to have either on the fast, but the caffeine withdrawal headaches are so bad that I'm cutting down gradually. Today's pot of coffee was half regular, half decaf. I just can't face those severe headaches. As for alcohol, James opened a bottle of wine last night and I had a hard time staying on the wagon--I do love my wine. But I didn't have any, so score one for self-control. (A shout-out to friend Cindy, who promised to abstain along with me. Thinking of the promise we'd made to do this together really helped me say no!)

I admit I had hunger pangs yesterday. I made a glass of juice when that happened, and I drank a LOT of ice water as well to fill up the hollow spaces.

My juices yesterday were

• apple, pear, cherry, lime
• apple, spinach, kale, carrots, ginger root
• Salsa in a Glass (tomato, cucumber, lime, cilantro, with a dash of hot sauce added to the glass)
• Mean Green (30 oz. of juice from kale, celery, cucumber, apples, lemon, and ginger root)

I had intended to add another juice right before bed, but because of the onset of the cold, wasn't really hungry.

I think some of the juice ingredients must be diuretic because I had to get up three times during the night!

This morning I had an orange-beet-carrot combination. Delicious. James said it was weird to smell beets in your glass, and I agreed that it takes some getting used to--the raw taste as well as the aroma. Once past that, though, the flavors are so fresh and, in the case of this combination, naturally sweet.

I wasn't going to weigh myself every day but couldn't resist this morning. I lost 0.6 pounds since yesterday's pre-fast weigh-in. I won't lose weight as quickly as people who start out with more to lose, but a few pounds would be welcome.

Onward and upward!

[cross-posted to View from the Loft]