What I've been eating recently

Well you may be shocked to hear my news. I broke my raw streak and this is how it started. 

For days I had been thinking that I was ready to do a juice cleanse and then try fasting again. So I had the mentality one day that if I'm doing a juice cleanse then I can eat whatever I want. That whatever I want turned into a bag of roasted and salted groundnuts (peanuts in the shell), a carton of soy milk, a warm chocolate cookie and ice cream plus fresh bread from a vegan bakery. 

How I loved every minute of it (apart from when I felt so bloated). The vegan bakery was awesome and their menu is beautiful! The bread tasted so sweet. But the only problem with my decision was the fact that I'd not eaten grains in over 1 year and my body didn't know what hit it. 

I did the juice cleanse for 2 days using store bought pasteurised juice and when I was supposed to shit for Thailand the only thing that came out of me were some hard stools. Surprisingly they didn't smell bad. 

I made the decision to visit Rasayana with my friend and I had a looser bowel movement, but since then I have only been having hard stools again because I have been on cooked juices again for 2 days. I wanted to experiment with using cooked juices and what I noticed was that my skin has gone even softer, but the whites in my eyes have gone yellow. I wasn't sure if that was down to the poor sleep, but then I've been feeling pains below my stomach so I am thinking that the cooked juices are no good at all and my body is telling me so! 

Yesterday I craved avocado so much and salad so I went and bought them. I think my body craved real food with real nutrients because the juices were just not providing the minerals and vitamins my body is used to. 

What I've learnt from this experience is that cooked juices are not ideal for me, I'm still not ready to give up food and I just want to eat the fruit that's in season, which is mangoes! So I actually filled up my basket and bag with mangoes yesterday (8kg in total) and I shall be eating them when they ripen. 

What I'm doing Wednesday

3 day colon cleanse

I started another colon cleanse yesterday, my last one being in March. I follow this plan, highly recommended by Steven and myself.

It starts with a pint of prune juice followed by half a pint of juice (apple, carrot, etc) and water every alternate half hour. For example, say you start at 8am with prune juice, you follow with apple juice at 8.30am and then water at 9am. It is recommended that you take 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil too, 3 times a day.

What should happen is that after 2-3 hours you start evacuating your previous days consumption and then eventually the rest of the contents of the colon. Eventually after your first visit to the toilet, which is normally very loose stools, it should become a liquid that you evacuate and this is a constant process so you will need to be resting all day and close to a toilet! The prune juice is supposed to pull the toxins from your system, which is why you do it every morning.

Unfortunately this process is not as quick as going for a colonic, however I do believe this method to be the best way as it avoids unnecessary stress and potential damage to the body. The poop shoot is a one way zone, it's best to keep it that way!

I was considering going for a colonic, but this is by far the most natural way, despite the perceived inconvenience. It is a great way to get some rest, let the body clean itself out and spend three days in your pyjamas catching up on your favourite TV, movies or books! 

If you choose to do this, it is very important that you will make a commitment to a raw food lifestyle. This is ultimately the best diet and I believe that we are naturally fruit and plant eaters. 

My top tips for doing this colon cleanse

1. Prepare your/buy a juicer (I have a standard juicer, but I'd prefer a slow juicer)
2. Prepare your/buy a distiller
3. Stock up on toilet roll
4. Get some extra virgin olive oil
5. Get a muslin cloth to filter the juice
6. Buy your prune juice from the shop - we use Asda's own brand
7. Go to the wholesale market and buy a box of apples (96 apples at least)
8. Make the juice the night before for the following day
9. Filter it until once or twice
10. Get a pint glass and a half pint glass and some bottles to store the juice/water
11. Prepare your TV, films, books, etc
12. Have a bath every night

I have lost 3lbs in the first day and that is likely to be all of the shit (literally) that was in me. Following on from the 3 days I will be juicing for another 10-14 days.

What I hope to gain from this and am seeing results of already

1. Clear skin - no more spots
2. Soft and smoother skin - it's already there, but I imagine it could be like silk
3. Weight loss
4. Improved body odor
5. Mental clarity
6. Increase in energy
7. Better understanding of my body

If you want to experience any of the above then I suggest you do this cleanse and transition to a raw food lifestyle.

For more information just ask me. I shall post an update at the end of my juicing and let you know the results.

Jennifer x