Jan 6 – Juice day!
Ughh! Liver cleanses and the skin are definitely connected! That little rash I mentioned earlier in my notes – located on the inside of on my left foot – is still present, but subsiding. Things are as they should be! My detox has started and my body is flushing toxins away.
8am – 6pm – Fresh juice using my Hurom slow juicer – beets, carrots, apple and ginger. I will drink this all day today and bulk up with some fiber tablets.
Jan 7 – Liver cleanse
So, I finished last night with a liver tablet and 2 glasses of water. My sleep was also very solid and I felt well rested this morning.
This morning, there were clear signs of my juice day yesterday, so I started off with a glass of water, followed by 2 Tbsp olive oil w/splash of lemon and sea salt. I haven’t seen any more interesting things in the toilet, other than pink pee (from my beet juice), but I’m assuming there is more to come.
10:00am – 1 egg cooked stovetop with fresh herbs and a pinch of sea salt on 1/2 slice of gluten free bread. Gluten free – not for any particular reason, just because that’s what I had handy. I generally eat multi-grain sour dough. If I’m going to have bread, it’s going to be good bread!
2:30pm – 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds lightly toasted with homemade granola with 1/2 cup plain kefir topped with fresh cashew milk.
I’m not all that hungry today, so I’ll go with that and keep it light! Juicing days are great for slowing the appetite. Lots of fibre and goodness… with fewer cravings in the days to follow. Even if I’m not on a cleanse, I tend to put aside one day each week for juicing. It’s always a good idea to give the digestive system a little break.
Dinner 7:00pm: A giant bowl of fresh salad mixed with arugula, celery, leaf lettuce, pumpkin seeds, almonds, ancient sprouted grains, and a dressing made from cashews, mustard, grapeseed oil and apple cider vinegar.
Jan 8 – Liver cleanse
9:30 – Slept in a bit today then off to work! Had a quick juice blended in my Vitamix: handful each of spinach, fresh herb stalks (basil, cilantro, mint), avocado, fresh ginger kefir, and frozen grapes.
10:45 – One banana on my break
Dinner 7:00pm: Hubby made a beautiful mushroom and vegetable risotto using barley instead of rice simmered with our homemade chicken stock made fresh in the afternoon. Blissful!
I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of the Risotto… it was gobbled up before I remembered to snap a shot!
Jan 10
So, I haven’t mentioned my list of daily supplements. I always say, less is better. Only take what you need. Don’t take it because your friend takes it, or you saw it advertised. Get your blood work done and speak to a nutritionist about your personal needs. Most people are taking so many things, most are not even being absorbed. I have seen whole supplements released through the tube during a colonic. A clear sign your body is not using it at all!
I digress… as I was saying… my list of supplements every morning includes: 1 Super EFA Capsule, Zinc, Vit D (3000 IU), Quercetin, and a probiotic. I also take one heaping spoonful of Kefir every morning. You can never get too much good bacteria in your GI. If I’m feeling a little run down, I add 5000 mg Vit C to that regime.
The only thing I take at night is my liver tablet. I don’t have any issues sleeping or pooping, so I don’t take magnesium at night. I would add up to 420 mg of magnesium, if I do have a spell of sleeplessness (most likely stress induced) or constipation.
AM – 1/2 cup steel cut oats, 1 coffee (splash of cream)… boring…
BREAK – one apple, one banana
LUNCH – 1 large salad. Black Kale, arugula, leaf lettuce, sliced radish, roasted pumpkin seeds and blanched almonds, tri-colour quinoa and simple dressing made from olive oil, grapeseed oil, grainy mustard, lemon, sea salt and pepper.
Pre-DINNER snack – handful of freshly roasted nuts… Chef Ramsay style.
DINS – Chicken thighs sautéed with mushrooms and onions with a sauce of mustard, fresh chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and white wine. We threw in some leftover gravy from Christmas dinner just to get rid of it… but what a punch! Never throw out leftover anything!
Side – Broccoli florets steamed with homemade herb butter drizzle. I generally like to keep a 1/3 lb of butter with fresh herbs handy for seasoning. It’s nice for thickening sauces or just drizzling over fresh veg. It’s easy to make using softened butter and freshly chopped soft herbs of your choice. I mix together and re-shape into a log with plastic wrap. Just toss in the fridge and cut wedges off when you need them.
Probably lacking a bit of water today.. I forgot to keep track, but I can tell by the colour of my pee… that’s right… pee, that I haven’t nearly had enough.
Liver tablet 1 hr after dins and in bed by 11!
Jan 11 – Juice day!
1 Coffee on the way to the clinic this morning
Been drinking juice all day since! Made it fresh this morning in my Hurom juicer. RECIPE: 6 beets, 4 carrots, 1 apple, 1″ wedge of ginger. Easy!
Afternoon snack – 6 fiber tablets chewed down good with 2 cups of water. That should hold me to dinner.
Jan 12 – Fall off the wagon day!
What? Yes… I got together with a few pals today. My general rule in life is MODERATION, but maybe today was a tad more than that? Anyhow, I cannot tell a lie, I had several glasses of wine today. Now that I’ve told you this… here is the rest of the day. I figure once I’m off the wagon, I may as well stay off 🙂
Lunch 12:00 – 3:00 – 1 lamb skewer, 1 piece of beautiful oven fired pizza and a side salad of arugula and olives w/dressing of olive oil and Italian vinegar. Oh, and 3 of us shared one chocolate mousse. May as well tell you everything at this point. I think I may have had 2 glasses of water the entire time. Oh well… never feel guilty for having a little pleasure. These days, it is hard to come by.
Dinner – A giant salad and lots of water.
Jan 13 – Juice Day
No solids today! I have prepared a juice of beets, carrots, apple and ginger for consumption today. About 3 cups in total. Other than my fresh juice, I will be drinking water and green tea to rehydrate.
Yesterday was not my best day this month, so I’m being careful today to turn that back around.
Dinner: Nice homemade chicken broth soup with fresh chopped vegetables. Carrots, fennel, celery and baby bok choy.
More hydration! Water and tea made from fresh ginger slices, star anise and green tea leaves.
Jan 14
AM – 1/2 cup steel cut oats, 1 coffee (splash of cream)… boring…
BREAK – one apple, one banana
LUNCH – 1 large salad. RECIPE: Black Kale, arugula, leaf lettuce, sliced radish, roasted pumpkin seeds and blanched almonds, tri-colour quinoa and simple dressing made from olive oil, grainy mustard, lemon, sea salt and pepper.
DINNER – Warm chicken liver salad I was lazy today and used this recipe that I’ve used before. Simple, tasty. Iron deficient? Chicken livers are a great way to boost iron without taking a supplement.
Jan 15 – It’s the weekend!
This morning we had a light breakfast of Greek yogurt with homemade granola and a dribble of maple syrup. 2 glasses of water. 4 Tbls olive oil, lemon and sea salt.
Prep, prep, prep! We basically spent 3 hours prepping today for lunches and snacks this coming week. We made a nice white bean soup using our homemade vege stock and a bunch of other vege that we picked up this morning.
I put together my beets, carrots, celery, pears, apples and ginger to make my juices at work. We also marinated 15 chicken thighs for our dinners this coming week. 1/2 in fresh herbs, garlic and lemon and the other half with curry. Our two faves.
Supplements: These are daily for me – Quercetin, Vit D3 (3000-5000 IU), Selenium +E, Probiotic (30B), EFA Capsule (Anchovy & Sardine 2000 mg)
Lunch: Smoked salmon with capers, dill and lemon.
Dinner 7pm: Curry Chicken on the grill with a side of steamed Chinese Spinach with fresh garlic, hot peppers and olive oil.
Felt a bit nibbly around 9:30pm, so I took a mittful of raw home roasted cashews. Followed with my liver tablet and another glass of water.
Jan 16 – Sunday is rest day
Woke up to the smell of freshly ground and brewed coffee. I don’t have anything against a lovely organic bean.
Spent the morning setting my mind on my readings, thinking about how I can be better this year, and asking for forgiveness for anything I may have said or done last year that was less than satisfactory. Feels good to purge your mind and leave things behind.
10:30am – 1/2 cup steel cut oats and my supplements for the day.
Supplements: Quercetin, Vit D3 (3000-5000 IU), Selenium +E, Probiotic (30B), EFA Capsule (Anchovy & Sardine 2000 mg)
Used my nebulizer to clear out the nasal passages. A great way to help avoid carrying little viruses around “smiley face”. I use a mix of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide and distilled water.
2:00pm – Avocado toast – RECIPE Smashed Avocado and lemon with shaved Radish, sprinkle of sesame seeds and hemp hearts.
A quiet and restful day.
Jan 17 – SNOW!!
7:00am – Well, today started with an hour long walk to work in knee deep in snow. First real snowstorm of the season! I took a lovely coffee with me for the streetcar ride, but I no sooner got on the streetcar, and had to get off! Good thing I didn’t bring all my meals with me today, because I would have not been able to carry them for the distance.
So… today began with exercise 🙂
8:30am – arrived soaking wet and breathless. I’ve not done a hike like that since Steenburg Lake winter 2020!
9:00am – Shovel snow, put all clothes in the dryer.
9:30am – Juiced 18 ozs. RECIPE: 5 Beets, 3 carrots, 1 celery, 1 pear, 1″ ginger. Just what I needed to get the day started.
Cancellations!! Okay, so I may as well use the time I’ve got and give myself a colonic. 40 mins of bliss. Relaxing, dramatic, successful… all of the above. A good colon cleanse on a Monday morning is the perfect way to start the week!
1:30pm – 1 apple sliced and a handful of home roasted cashews
4:30pm – Locking up for the day and heading out. Hmmm… no streetcars? Oh dear, looks like I’m walking… again. 13000 steps later and 2 hours, I have arrived home. My hips feel like someone put me in a vice grip and turned it slightly sideways. I have to say, I enjoyed the walk for the most part. Snow is beautiful – if you’re not trying to drive through it – but I wouldn’t have walked all that way through knee high snow by choice.
6:45pm – I’m in my comfy clothes, warmed up and sitting with a blanket. Tonight my hubby will reward me. Not because I did something grand, but because he feels sorry for me that I had to walk all the way home. Hehe… I’ll take what I can get at this point.
7:15pm – He serves me up with Cacio e Pepe and a glass of lovely red wine. NOT recommended after having had a colonic, but I think you might agree… I definitely would not turn this down after “snow day” that has finally come to a close.
8:30pm – Liver tablet and several glasses of water.
Jan 18 – Milk Thistle
I’ve chosen to take a tincture from Genestra.
Milk Thistle (150 mg): Milk Thistle is a well-known liver cleansing supplement because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that also helps reduce liver inflammation. I’m going to start taking this now for the next 30 days. I thought it may help get me through next weeks’ liver cleanse prep and assist in the healing after the cleanse. We shall see!
I’ve chosen to take this tincture (20 drops daily) from Genestra Brand. I trust the research backing these products and they are priced right too.
Infrared Sauna – I’m going to slip into my little sauna today on my lunch break for 30 mins. This is a great add on to any cleansing routine. DETOX!!
You too can book your own 20 min session here at the clinic for $25. Something new we are offering for 2022.
Lunch 1:30pm – Homemade white bean soup. Packed full of vege, simmered in homemade chicken stock, topped off with a massive head of chopped kale. I like kale in soups because it can stand up without over wilting.
4 cups of water today so far, 4 tbsp olive oil with lemon and sea salt. 2 shots of leftover juice from yesterday.
Dinner – late tonight because I had to walk home again. Oh… the hips! Grilled chicken thigh (1) marinated in lemon, olive oil and fresh herbs. My husbands “epic” roasted potatoes (1 sm potato each) and a huge green salad (arugula, mixed greens, fresh dill and parsley with a simple, tasty dressing made from smashed avocado, olive oil and balsamic). 3 glasses water.
Before bed I took my liver tablet (ZenCleanz Black Vacuum) and my probiotic.
Jan 19-22
Pretty boring few days for food. I’ve been keeping it pretty light. Juicing every morning, snacking around 11:30 with a banana, a few fresh figs or some chia pudding.
Salad bowls mixed with different beans, greens and soaked nuts. Lots of grains and sweet potatoes.
Recipe: 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp creamed honey / mix and let stand in fridge over night. Top with homemade granola, pumpkin seeds, and 1 tsp cranberry protein powder. MIX and eat!
Cranberry protein powder packs a real punch of flavour! Not to mention, over 2 dozen phytonutrients in cranberries, amino acids, soluable and insoluable fiber and it can help with urinary tract infections. I’m being extra careful right now as when flushing the liver, things can exit that can put stress on the urinary tract. I don’t want to take any chances!
Dinner last night was a whole fish stuffed with orange slices, Thyme sprigs, crushed garlic, rubbed with olive oil, covered in sea salt and baked at 400 degrees for 30 mins. Spectacular!
Side salad of mixed greens and arugula, almond slivers, Farro grains, parsley, dill. Dressing of juice from 1/4 of the orange, grainy Dijon and olive oil.
Jan 24 – 5 days to go!
If you’re as sick as I am reading through my pages of January, I don’t blame you. I’m looking forward to this Friday when I have decided to start the actual cleanse. Feels like forever, but I’m finally going to get this liver cleanse over with.
I will document Friday and Saturday from start to finish and will post a bunch of pictures on a separate page. Only go there if you can handle looking at the photos! If you struggle to look at your own poop… then looking at mine is definitely not advised.
Jan 27 – One more sleep!
I have been juicing now for 2 days. Up to 4 tbsp olive oil, w/lemon and sea salt daily. Black Vacuum tablets daily and light meals. So much water and fresh juices I’ve lost tract of actual ounces. No meat or fish protein these last 4 days. Being very careful as I approach my liver cleanse.
Today I have a really lovely juice blend of apples, pears and ginger. I’m giving the vegetables a break until later today. It’s so tasty – quite sweet actually – and has a nice thick consistency from all the fiber.
Feeling good actually. Energetic, lost some weight, sleeping well, pooping out some interesting stuff 🙂 – staying healthy, first and foremost, and looking at the year ahead with hope and thankfulness.
Meditation, praying, or just simply sitting in peacefulness
Whatever, or however you relax, finding time to reflect and give thanks sets your body in a perfect state for success. We have so much control over our feelings, and our outcomes, but everything starts with internal peace. If you don’t have internal peace, I urge you to start your journey to find it. Peace is the root, the core, the beginning and the end. Without peace, the struggles seem endless.