Hello, lovely
The blueberries are not a must, however they add a lovely dimension.
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Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Lemon Lavender Cheesecake Bars with Blueberry Compote
Well I've got a wonderful dessert for you all. Quite dreamy..That's if your dreams are full of cashews, medjool dates, lemon, lavender, and blueberries! It ends up looking like this before the compote.....
Hello, lovely
And after the compote...looks like little bubbles of blueberries- I just love how the light catches them:
Hello, lovely
Friday, January 24, 2014
Breaking my Juice Cleanse, Breakfast, and Mug Decorating Instructions
So today is two posts because I wanted to discuss breaking my cleanse separately from giving the sauerkraut recipe. Whenever you are coming off of a juice cleanse, no matter if it is three days or two weeks, you want to be very gentle with your body. I have found it recommended to eat raw for half of the time you cleansed, or at least keep away anything processed, refined, or out of a box, eating mainly fruits and vegetables. Every time you cleanse you will have a different experience in terms of how you feel. The first cleanse I ever did, I had a horrid migraine on day two through half of day three. I also was not hungry or had any urge to want to eat during it. This past cleanse, I felt like I had no energy and very tired throughout day two, however day three I felt full of energy, so much so, I could not get to sleep last night until seven in the morning today. I even tried taking some melatonin, but it did nothing. I do not like when my sleep pattern gets knocked out of wack, as it is not good for the body or mind. Plus, who wants to sleep all day?? While I was not hungry, I wanted to just chew something. It was more of a psychological thing than physical hunger. I think it was mainly due to the low energy forcing me to stay inside burrowed and quite bored at times.
So once I finally slept and woke around 2 or so, I decided to make a simple fruit salad. I quite commonly eat a fruit salad for breakfast of one banana sliced up, 6-8 strawberries sliced up, an apple chopped up, and sometimes a few blueberries - always with a Tbs of Tahini (Sesame Butter) mix with about a tablespoon of water, to thin it out so it's easier to mix into the salad. However, not having any Tahini, I used a Tbs of Almond butter instead. I then sprinkled Cinnamon and a pinch of Cardamom on top. I didn't have any fresh strawberries, so instead I had to use a mix of frozen berries (an excellent substitute when you cannot find fresh organic berries or they don't look so good, as the frozen fruit is picked at its peak ripeness. With berries, it's important to try and buy organic because they do not have a shell or anything that would protect the part you eat as much as say a banana from those horrid chemicals), which means it did not turn out as pretty as it usually does due to the berry juices once they melted.
To drink, I steeped a loose Earl Grey tea and added some dried Lavender, steeping in my self-decorated mug with my nut milk bag (I will do a blog post at some point regarding the many ways to use a nut milk bag, as I have learned many more than simply to make nut milk. Perhaps when I post my almond milk recipe).
Breakfast of Champions
This is a great breakfast, as it keeps you full and gives you a burst of fresh fruit and some protein from the tahini or nut butter. Its also very portable if you eat breakfast on the go or at work, school, etc.
Here's a close up of my mug
So once I finally slept and woke around 2 or so, I decided to make a simple fruit salad. I quite commonly eat a fruit salad for breakfast of one banana sliced up, 6-8 strawberries sliced up, an apple chopped up, and sometimes a few blueberries - always with a Tbs of Tahini (Sesame Butter) mix with about a tablespoon of water, to thin it out so it's easier to mix into the salad. However, not having any Tahini, I used a Tbs of Almond butter instead. I then sprinkled Cinnamon and a pinch of Cardamom on top. I didn't have any fresh strawberries, so instead I had to use a mix of frozen berries (an excellent substitute when you cannot find fresh organic berries or they don't look so good, as the frozen fruit is picked at its peak ripeness. With berries, it's important to try and buy organic because they do not have a shell or anything that would protect the part you eat as much as say a banana from those horrid chemicals), which means it did not turn out as pretty as it usually does due to the berry juices once they melted.
To drink, I steeped a loose Earl Grey tea and added some dried Lavender, steeping in my self-decorated mug with my nut milk bag (I will do a blog post at some point regarding the many ways to use a nut milk bag, as I have learned many more than simply to make nut milk. Perhaps when I post my almond milk recipe).
Breakfast of Champions
This is a great breakfast, as it keeps you full and gives you a burst of fresh fruit and some protein from the tahini or nut butter. Its also very portable if you eat breakfast on the go or at work, school, etc.
Here's a close up of my mug
Make your own Pink Sauerkraut..Step by Step Instructions with Photos of the Process
This post is going to be about my sauerkraut and how to make your own.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
First Post (with pics) Read here first if it's your 1st time here please!
I wanted to get something written down. I actually already have a couple entries completed, but before I put those up, I want to get the basics out of the way.
****I Must Say This: I have done lots of scientific and just plain internet research on the topics I will talk about (for my own knowledge), however, this DOES NOT in any form make me a doctor or someone you should take medical or health advice from. I am simply a girl who has educated herself enough to change her bad habits and lifestyle to improve herself. I am only here to talk about my personal experiences, share recipes and tips, learn more about all of this, and connect with others.****
I am currently on my 2nd 3-day juice cleanse; this one is my ''winter'' cleanse and is the evening of day three. I originally did a 3 day cleanse on 11/20/2013-11/23/2013 and it did exactly what I hoped for. It cleared that processed crap I've put in my body off of my palate, dramatically lessening cravings for refined and processed foods to pretty much nonexistent. I actually crave healthy, unprocessed food now, such as fruit or a plain baked sweet potato or steamed veggies and buckwheat with an amazing ginger sauce (which I will soon pass on to you). Trust me, that has never happened to me in my life. I also have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which means my hormones are generally out of wack and I'm glucose-intolerant, so refined sugar is literally like poison to me. At the same time, I (used to) have intense cravings for refined foods, especially when I was sad or bored. I am definitely an emotional eater, which probably became a replacement for my past addiction once I was on the road to recovery.
Now that that's all said and done, back to this three day cleanse. So it's 11:26 PM, I still have not made my last juice, so I am about to do that. But these past three days have given me a lot of time to reflect, especially since I tend to burrow in during a cleanse and just drink plenty of water and take it easy. I have realized that I just don't want weight loss, but also health. As I haven't been focused on ''how much weight am I going to lose after these three days?" But ''I hope I feel even better than I already am" or "I hope this takes away those cravings that snuck up on me last week after eating out at that vegan restaurant and having some processed vegan food for the first time since November" or even (and the MOST surprising) "I can't wait until this is done so I can go to that workout class on Monday!"
So much has changed for me during these 2 short months since my big overhaul and change, such as:
1. I no longer eat for emotional reasons, I eat when I am hungry and I eat extremely balanced.
2. My general mood is happy, not depressed as it was in the past and my anxiety has decreased significantly.
3. I can physically do tasks and little things like no big thang that were a bit harder before.
4. My chronic back pain I have had since I began grad school is completely gone; it used to make my legs numb when I would walk more than 1/2 block (I saw a Chiropractor for several months which helped quite a bit, but it was still chronic and he told me the weight loss and diet change would take care of the rest and he was completely right because)..it is completely gone.
5. I am getting involved in group activities and putting myself in situations where I am around people much more now.
6. I had walking pneumonia for six months about a year and a half ago and ever since then I would go out of breath after just a few stairs or steps and I was always clearing my throat-so annoying and embarrassing- NO MORE THROAT CLEARING! And I do not get out of breath that easily! I can run up a flight of stairs, I went on a walk in over a foot of snow with my mother when I was visiting and I could talk the whole time without getting out of breath.
7. I have a lot more clothes now, since I gained weight really quickly most of my clothes I couldn't fit into anymore. I am fitting into dresses and shirts and such which I haven't in about 3 years.
8. Outside of day 2-3 on the first juice cleanse (which is a common symptom on a cleanse due to your body detoxing chemicals and such that have been stored in your fat cells and liver), I have only had 1 headache (and it was when I didn't eat all day)... I used to have about 3 a week...
9. I have a LOT more energy and actually like when I have to get up and walk around and move; I do not like sitting as much.
10. I do not watch as much TV anymore, but actually do productive things like organizing/going through my things (I'm also doing a room overhaul), cooking healthy meals, reading for leisure or learning new things, teaching myself crafts or little DIY projects, etc.
11. I am meeting new people who are also working on themselves and have healthy habits (and I don't mean just food habits).
11. And most importantly, I feel that my future is incredibly bright (I know, super, super, corny and if you met me two months ago I would have rolled my eyes at the sound of that).
I could continue the list, but those are the main changes I've seen in these two months. Here are some photos so it's not all words....
The goods before the juicer...Cucumber, Green Apple,
1/2 peeled Lemon, handful of Cilantro.
After I finished straining and added equal parts water (also
only need to do this if fasting).. Finished product ready
to be drunk and given to your body like an IV
of nutrients!
Time for some juice, perhaps some homemade tea, and bed.
Best of days and with gratitude,
Jessica
****I Must Say This: I have done lots of scientific and just plain internet research on the topics I will talk about (for my own knowledge), however, this DOES NOT in any form make me a doctor or someone you should take medical or health advice from. I am simply a girl who has educated herself enough to change her bad habits and lifestyle to improve herself. I am only here to talk about my personal experiences, share recipes and tips, learn more about all of this, and connect with others.****
Now that that's all said and done, back to this three day cleanse. So it's 11:26 PM, I still have not made my last juice, so I am about to do that. But these past three days have given me a lot of time to reflect, especially since I tend to burrow in during a cleanse and just drink plenty of water and take it easy. I have realized that I just don't want weight loss, but also health. As I haven't been focused on ''how much weight am I going to lose after these three days?" But ''I hope I feel even better than I already am" or "I hope this takes away those cravings that snuck up on me last week after eating out at that vegan restaurant and having some processed vegan food for the first time since November" or even (and the MOST surprising) "I can't wait until this is done so I can go to that workout class on Monday!"
So much has changed for me during these 2 short months since my big overhaul and change, such as:
1. I no longer eat for emotional reasons, I eat when I am hungry and I eat extremely balanced.
2. My general mood is happy, not depressed as it was in the past and my anxiety has decreased significantly.
3. I can physically do tasks and little things like no big thang that were a bit harder before.
4. My chronic back pain I have had since I began grad school is completely gone; it used to make my legs numb when I would walk more than 1/2 block (I saw a Chiropractor for several months which helped quite a bit, but it was still chronic and he told me the weight loss and diet change would take care of the rest and he was completely right because)..it is completely gone.
5. I am getting involved in group activities and putting myself in situations where I am around people much more now.
6. I had walking pneumonia for six months about a year and a half ago and ever since then I would go out of breath after just a few stairs or steps and I was always clearing my throat-so annoying and embarrassing- NO MORE THROAT CLEARING! And I do not get out of breath that easily! I can run up a flight of stairs, I went on a walk in over a foot of snow with my mother when I was visiting and I could talk the whole time without getting out of breath.
7. I have a lot more clothes now, since I gained weight really quickly most of my clothes I couldn't fit into anymore. I am fitting into dresses and shirts and such which I haven't in about 3 years.
8. Outside of day 2-3 on the first juice cleanse (which is a common symptom on a cleanse due to your body detoxing chemicals and such that have been stored in your fat cells and liver), I have only had 1 headache (and it was when I didn't eat all day)... I used to have about 3 a week...
9. I have a LOT more energy and actually like when I have to get up and walk around and move; I do not like sitting as much.
10. I do not watch as much TV anymore, but actually do productive things like organizing/going through my things (I'm also doing a room overhaul), cooking healthy meals, reading for leisure or learning new things, teaching myself crafts or little DIY projects, etc.
11. I am meeting new people who are also working on themselves and have healthy habits (and I don't mean just food habits).
11. And most importantly, I feel that my future is incredibly bright (I know, super, super, corny and if you met me two months ago I would have rolled my eyes at the sound of that).
I could continue the list, but those are the main changes I've seen in these two months. Here are some photos so it's not all words....
The goods before the juicer...Cucumber, Green Apple,
1/2 peeled Lemon, handful of Cilantro.
After the juicer in the process of straining using a nut milk bag (you only need to do this if fasting; helps
keep hunger pangs away, as it prevents your stomach from
beginning it's break down process).
After I finished straining and added equal parts water (also
only need to do this if fasting).. Finished product ready
to be drunk and given to your body like an IV
of nutrients!
And just a shot of my juice from yesterday morning on the right (hint:pineapple was a main ingredient!mmmm) and my fermenting sauerkraut baby on the left (half purple, half green cabbage, turns it into a beautiful pink when it ferments!) Will post the recipe for the sauerkraut very soon- so easy you will never buy again! It's been fermenting for 4 days..I will open it to eat some tomorrow as a reward for finishing my winter cleanse :).
Time for some juice, perhaps some homemade tea, and bed.
Best of days and with gratitude,
Jessica
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