May the force be with Yogis– Personal Challenge Week 2

I should probably stop listening to Taylor Swift–go ahead and laugh…but the girl is starting to take up more head space than I have. Concentrating on a report for work, while humming “The Best Day”  and then getting annoyed when I can’t remember all of the words (rather than focusing on the report) is eventually going to get me into trouble. 😀  I kid, I kid…but seriously, I enjoy Taylor Swift–especially the ‘Fearless’ album. But anyway, back to the actual reason for this blog post.

I started a personal challenge last week, and after the craziness that was week 1, it’s time to move on to the second week!

There are a few things I want to change on the original challenge, as well as add 3 new items.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE #1 (Original)

1. Eat Completely Raw for 6 weeks. (Tuesday, April 23rd – Monday, June 3rd)

2. No “cheats” for 6 weeks  *I had a cheat on the weekend, it was a strawberry popsicle made with fresh strawberries and agave. I am not happy with my lack of will power but it wasn’t a TERRIBLE cheat. So I’m extending the NO Cheat week til June 10.

3. Lift Heavy 4 days per week

4. Focus on Abs and Inner Thighs

5. Become Stronger with Headstands

6. Eat more greens

7. Complete a Sun salutation 5 days/week I am changing this to 3 days per week because on top of the heavy lifting, hiit, and focus on my abs/thighs I  also practice yoga and it’s becoming difficult to also fit in an additional 5 days of sun saluations on top of the yoga sessions each week.

8. 100 squats a day  *I have a knee injury and my left knee has been giving me grief the past 2 weeks, I had to skip a few squat sessions simply because I didn’t want to be limping the next day. Instead I spent a little quality time with my foam roller. As much as I want to improve and stick to the plan, I don’t want to injure myself, so as long as my knee is okay, I’ll continue the squat challenge, but may miss a day or 2 here or there if the knee is acting up.

My add ons for this week are:

1. Work up to a 5 minute plank. (My core aches just THINKING ABOUT THIS!). I don’t plan to even attempt 5 minutes this week, but I think I can hold for 2.5-3 minutes now if I REALLY dig deep (thanks for the expression Shaun T–for anyone who has tried Insanity you know what i’m talking about), but it will take some serious work for the next 5 weeks if I want to last 300 seconds. I can do it tho…it just takes good old fashioned sweat and hard work and sweat…oh wait, I already said that.

2. ATTEMPT (and I did say ATTEMPT) the #Maytheforcebewithyogis instagram challenge. Each day a new pose is posted, most are a little advanced for me but I am not afraid to fall so here goes! If you’re interested in this challenge follow one of the 4 girls leading it on Instagram @gypsetgoddess, @masumi_g, @laurasykora, or @beachyogagirl . Oh and why you’re at it, follow ME on instagram @regarae.

3. Get out of my winter rut and get outside to enjoy nature more (great for physical activity and mental clarity). I love taking walks and going for bike rides. It’s possible that I’m still in “Winter” mode where I stay inside because it’s too cold to go out and do much, because every evening even when it’s nice out, I find myself snuggled up on the sofa. Tho last week, i was so sore from the lifting that it was more fetal position than snuggling.

Now that they’re written out, my “add-ons” seem quite simple, but I know they will be a challenge. Especially sticking with the yoga challenge if I find it hard to hold any of the poses, but this entire challenge is about getting stronger, getting out of my comfort zone to allow me to grow, and of course  breaking down barriers put up by fear so i’m ready to give this my best shot.

Have a great evening, and a wonderful Tuesday! Stay strong everyone!!

10 Things I learned during my 2 week juice detox

As promised, here is a list of some of the things I discovered during my 12 day juice “Spring Clean”. Enjoy.

1. You REALLY don’t know what to expect until you’re living it.In the days leading up to my juice fast, I researched recipes, side effects, things other people had experienced etc. in hopes of preparing myself for what was to come. Turns out…You can’t really predict how it will work for you.

2. Don’t expect that your experiences and results are going to be the same as someone else. I kept assuming that I would have the exact same results are several of the blog posts I read prior to starting the juice feast–turns out, many of my experiences were the opposite.

3. Even if i was full and satiated from drinking all the juice I wanted, I still missed the act of “chewing”. Seeing someone chew food, even food I wasn’t craving or didn’t want, made me want food again. Such a simple concept but i’ve been chewing my food since before I can remember.

Oh Dear God! So many people eatingggg……

4. The only REAL way the detox is going to work is if you’re doing it FOR YOURSELF. When I first started, it was to help my mom, but if that was the only reason I was able to continue (especially since my mom quit early) is because I started to feel better and see results and wanted to see how much better I could feel by the end.

5. Beets turn everything red/purple. I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say if it goes IN the colour of a beet, it comes OUT the colour of a beet.

6. There is NOTHING I can’t do if i want it bad enough. For instance, I made cookies, for a work function, in the middle of doing this detox and although I was tempted I didn’t have even 1.

7. Whoever said cravings only last 10 minutes was lying–sort of. In their defence this was day 3-4 when my cravings were the worst. I have a bit of a sweet tooth, and most of my juices during the day were highly veggie based but at night to ensure I didn’t crack, I would make a juice with more fruit than veggie juice for that “oh my god I need sugar, and I may have some sorbet” moment. Actually, the cravings eventually do stop, but some days I would have to get creative with ways to distract myself.

8. Do not break your juice fast–especially if it’s been 2 weeks, with super spicy garlicky tomato soup no matter how sick you are. I wrote in an earlier post that I broke the detox 2 days early because i was sick. The soup is my go to comfort food, but unfortunately it did NOT sit well on my stomach.

9. Detox symptoms suck, but what comes next is MORE THAN WORTH IT. Honestly, that statement pretty much sums it up. I was tired, had some breakouts, cramps, body aches, constipation, and even some sores in my mouth a few days in to the detox but by the end my body felt truly alive. My skin became so clear that I preferred to go without foundation/powder, my concentration at work was heightened, and I slept better than I have in months.

10. Have fun with it. As long as you’re doing this for your health, listening to your body, and enjoying life there is no right or wrong way to do it. Don’t be so focused on rules that you forget to enjoy the very thing you’re trying to accomplish. Sometimes your juice will taste like mud, other days you accidentally spill it all over your socks, but it’s part of the journey so breathe, smile, and remember your body is healing and loving every minute of this adventure.

**This detox was a new challenge for me. I had moments that I didn’t like so much (insane cravings, headaches, and breakouts) but I also have so many more moments that made me realize how clean, fresh, and revitalized a body can feel when properly cared for. I will definitely do juice cleanses periodically to give my body a break from the day to day digestion duties, cleanse my mind (and colon for that matter), and just RESET myself. I probably won’t do 14 day detoxes, but I see 3-7 day cleanses in my future periodically.

 

Don’t put in 1/2 the effort, unless you’re okay with 1/2 the results… (Personal Challenge)

Happy Earth Day! I spent some time in the dark today (actually it was bright until later in the evening so I just kept my curtains open), used only as much water as was absolutely necessary, ate all local produce, and would have biked home from work if I wasn’t sick…what did you do today? Of course it is important to be kind to the Earth every day, but why not do a little something special today? 🙂

So I recently had an “Ah HA!” moment. You know, that moment when something super obvious that had been previously alluding me just suddenly seemed so much more clear. Basically, I have come to realize that that I don’t necessarily work hard enough for the results i’m seeking. I eat okay some of the time, strength train but never really push my limits, and only really push myself when I feel like it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I think there is anything wrong with the way I look or even the amount of effort I put in–not really BUT I have a particular look that I’m going for and if I am ever going to get the muscle definition and ABS that I dream of, I am going to have to eat cleaner, lift heavier, and overall work harder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was recently chatting with Laura from Fit, Green, and Gorgeous (she’s amazing by the way, go check her out) about this very notion. Since discovering her instagram and blog I have come to realize that there really isn’t some crazy science to getting the results you seek, just good old fashioned hard work, clean eating, and dedication.  Sure, we all KNOW this to be true, but applying that concept can be tricky. It’s easy to assume someone was just born with that body, or has some special trick they do, when really it’s always just the same concept time after time.  However, actually watching someone grow, change, and make progress right in front of your eyes is a different story. It’s not that I want to have her body, or to be exactly like her, not at all…it’s that she motivates me to go after what it is that I want. 

I want to discover MY perfect balance, and it’s not going to happen over night  but i’m willing to put in the work. I created a personal challenge of things I want to achieve in the next little while. My first challenge is only 6 weeks long, but I will add to it weekly (little things like drink more water, do more pushups, etc) and I’ll continue with these challenges to ensure I don’t become complacent as I strive for improvement.

Before I get to the challenge, I’d like to say that my weakness is definitely food. I eat clean most of the time, but it’s those times I don’t eat clean that is a problem.

I have a problem with controlling myself and have been known to polish off a tray of cookies or 1/2 dozen cupcakes just because they were there. I am not saying that I will never again have a cupcake, but I definitely need to learn how to control myself. Okay, so moving on to the Challenge…

PERSONAL CHALLENGE #1

1. Eat Completely Raw for 6 weeks. (Tuesday, April 23rd – Monday, June 3rd)

2. No “cheats” for 6 weeks (1 exception. My wedding anniversary falls in the middle of this and I will allow myself a glass of wine)

3. Lift Heavy 4 days per week

4. Focus on Abs and Inner Thighs

5. Become Stronger with Headstands

6. Eat more greens

7. Complete a Sun salutation 5 days/week

8. 100 squats a day

 

Before I go–life isn’t only about sweating a ton, or eating multiple heads of lettuce, it’s about being happy, loving yourself and spreading that positive energy to others. You know those times when you’re having a bad day and someone says something nice or does something nice (even the smallest of actions) and it just brightens your entire day? Well BE that person. Take time to smile, to compliment, to spread positive energy. 

For the next 6 weeks, every day I am going to think of different things that I am truly grateful for and just take a moment to appreciate it’s force in my life–try it with me, I have a feeling we all have much to be thankful for. 

*PEACE*

*Cough Cough…my lungs hurt* (Final Day of the Spring Clean Detox)

Finally, the end to my 14 day juice detox has arrived…but what’s this? I didn’t make it…? Seriously?!?!

Unfortunately, I have been fighting a cold and the juice, as amazing as it is, wasn’t quite enough for me. I was absolutely miserable on Friday and decided to make myself some roasted garlic tomato soup to soothe my mind and body. At first, I was incredibly disappointed that i’d made it 12 days, but could not go the final 2, but then realized–I have nothing to be ashamed of, I did my best and would have finished had I not become ill. (I probably could have forced myself to do the final 2 days, but honestly, this spring clean detox was supposed to be about recharging my body and getting in tune with myself–and cleansing…and I didn’t feel I was getting any of those benefits while lying in bed miserable).

If you remember, the detox was supposed to end on Day 10, but I added the additional 4 days at the request of someone who follows my blog. I struggled with exactly how to tell her that I wouldn’t finish the last 2 days, and finally drafted a quick message to let her know that I wasn’t well and thought it best to stop early. Her response surprised me. I expected that she would understand, and was ready to be there as much as possible to lend moral advice… however, it turns out, she got sick as well and had already eaten some plain toast to settle her stomach. Both of us had been around sick people lately and had hoped that we would be able to get by without being affected, but unfortunately this was not the case. *booo*  I was not as sick as she, and although my lungs and throat ache, I am not completely confined to my bed. (Feel better soon LK *hugs*)

We decided that a little warm soup was just what the doctor ordered. I had a rather large portion of soup because I hadn’t eaten any food in days and it didn’t sit well with me, and I knew it wouldn’t but somehow the idea of homemade soup made me feel better. I am still not 100% but I am definitely improving…  I am going to freeze the soup, or else feed it to my husband with a toasted baguette.

I will do a write up this week about my experiences doing a 12 day juice detox, what I learned, what i’d do differently, what I liked and didn’t like, etc. So stay tuned!

Now that the spring cleaning is through, it’s back a raw lifestyle for a while, and actually rather than doing “predominately raw” I am going fully raw for a while to determine if this is what’s right for me or not. I will also be posting a Challenge this week with a few things i’d like to try over the coming weeks. These include food challenges, workout changes,  maybe even set some new goals (physical and emotional) that i’d like to strive for.

 

Have a wonderful week everyone! Get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, smile constantly, and hug as many people as often as you can!

*Peace*

Can I please get that with a side of mint? (Day 9, 10, 11)

Sometimes I accidentally get obsessed with a colour. And I say accidentally, because it really isn’t some intentional ‘i’m going to buy everything in purple this season’ decision. I’ll just notice that a particular colour is all the rage that season, think to myself that I could use a little “colour in my life” and the next thing you know I own 5 bottles of yellow nail polish, yellow shoes, and i’m trying to convince AB that yellow duct tape really is a practical idea.

Last year it was coral…this year it seems to be mint green. I haven’t done much shopping recently, but the few items I have purchased have been the same colour. Oops. (Well minus the pink and orange jeans I bought, but for the record I only bought orange because they didn’t have the green in my size). O_0

It became apparent to me that I have a slight obsession when I uploaded this photo onto my computer. This was not on purpose I promise.

I have to say, this little organic gala apple really pops against the mint, so I guess it’s not a bad thing. 🙂

Does anyone else have this problem? Do you also get infatuated with a colour and slowly have it take over your life? Or is that just me.

I just realized I sort of do the same thing with fruits and veggies. I mean, sure I eat seasonally so if tomatoes are in season it only makes sense that i’d have them more than usual, but I will definitely have a fruit realize i’ve been missing it and then eat it non stop for several weeks before moving on to another. Is that weird? I have my staples of bananas and grapes (tho the past 2 1/2 months grapes have been super gross here) but before I started the detox I was obsessed with oranges and honeydew and ate it every day… (Oh god, think about the colour of honeydew…it’s official, i’m crazy).

Speaking of fruit, as great as the juice detox is, I cannot wait to Slice up 5 bananas and just revel in their sweet perfection. I plan to be fully raw for 2 weeks after the detox ends to allow my body to slowly adjust after not eating for 2 weeks, then after that I may allow myself a cooked treat–i’m looking at you baked sweet potato. I only have 3 days left, and rather than wishing them to end in a hurry– tho I’m not perfect, so i’m sure Sunday afternoon i’ll be having some internal crisis where I want the weekend to end *blasphemy* yet obviously do NOT want it to come to an end–the plan is to take each day as it comes with it’s ups and downs and continue learning from this experience. Until then, be strong with me.

Good Night.

I had a dream…no really, I did, and it was about mangoes. (Day 6,7,8)

9 days ago I sat anxiously on my bed, drafting a blog post regarding a 10 day detox that I was going to attempt. I was hoping that I could survive the 10 days without gnawing at my own arm, but expecting that I’d call it quits by day 3. Yet here I am, 8 days in, and still going strong. The hardest part is over, and I am taking each day as it comes and feeling stronger than ever.

The initial reason for me doing this detox was because of my mother, but I realized 3 days into it when the cravings were at their peak that I wanted this for me. Mom was unable to do the entire 7 days as she had hoped, but managed to go 3 days before giving in to temptation. At first I was sad to see her end the cleanse early because I was worried she’d begin eating poorly if she felt guilty for quitting. However, the cleanse left her feeling so refreshed and revitalized that she has been eating incredibly clean since stopping to continue feeling renewed. She said that she can’t imagine eating an entirely raw diet, but she can understand if I feel this light and fresh all the time why I do it.  Knowing my mom finally sees the direct connection (if only a little) between eating a certain way and FEELING a certain way, made this entire experience worthwhile.

“Pick me up” Juice

2 organic carrots

1 organic beet

1 organic apple (gala)

This juice has become my mid morning staple. Just when I think I can’t make it through another meeting, or I’d rather not review any more files I have some of this and I perk right up. It’s sweet juice and I love it for that very reason; I don’t always  want my juice to taste like Kale. (Shhhh…I wouldn’t want to hurt Kale’s feelings). Sometimes I throw in ginger to the mix, it adds a playful punch.

One final announcement, rather than finishing the detox on Wednesday like I had initially planned, I will now be going until Sunday. I know what you’re thinking, and no, not because I love it THAT much. Although, I am not starving or having any terrible cravings, I cannot wait for solid food–can anyone say bananas and mangos!?!? I literally dream about them every night.

A young woman who reads my blog started the detox on the same day as me, and is doing it for 14 days and has asked that I continue the 4 extra days with her. At first I said that I couldn’t, but then I realized that I definitely COULD but was being selfish and just wanted food (which will still be there on Monday). We have been emailing back and forth and last night I made the decision to continue the extra days with her. I feel I have earned a GIANT bowl of raw zucchini pasta and as many bananas as I want when this is done, but for now if the 4 extra days means helping someone at the beginning of their healthy living journey, then this goes beyond a few additional days of juice and I couldn’t possibly refuse. That being said, Sunday is DEFINITELY the last day, the dreams about succulent fruit are beginning to seem so real, I can’t be sure I wont’ wake up chewing on my pillow.

Karaoke in a snow storm (…and day 5 of Spring Clean detox)

 

Today we received quite the storm here in Ottawa– complete with freezing rain, snow, and of course treacherous ice patches lying in wait for that unsuspecting passerby. I was in a rush to get to work, ran out the door to catch the bus and before I knew it was slipping on the ice. I probably could have steadied myself if I dropped my lunch bag, but it was carrying several mason jars full of juice (which to a person on a juice detox is precious cargo) so I decided to protect my juice and take the fall. OUCH!  Spring, please hurry, I cannot take many more of these icy days.

I’ve made it to the end of Day 5 and I feel good. Tonight was a birthday dinner for one of my girlfriends, and I knew everyone would be ordering amazing meals so I considered not going, but I wanted to see her and to socialize so I made a promise to myself that if I could survive the evening without breaking the detox that I could buy new yoga pants. (Hurray for simply bribery).  I had a large container of juice prior to dinner to ensure I wouldn’t be hungry, but everyone around me was enjoying cocktails, wine, pasta, pizza, mac and cheese, etc. and the smells were intoxicating. I ordered water with lemon and lime and expected that I would be drooling all over myself but surprisingly, it was not as difficult as I had imagined. (If you remember from a previous post, my initial plan for tonight was to order a simple salad, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that if I broke the detox for 1 thing I’d start breaking it for others as well and I really want to make it the entire 10 days). So I went, I didn’t eat, and I conquered!

After dinner, we went to Karaoke, and I have been humming “Stop right now” by Spice Girls ever since. Somehow you forget about the ice, slush, and cold weather when you’re listening to your girlfriends sing, slightly off key, songs of your youth.

Tomorrow I plan to do some early morning spinning, followed by an afternoon yoga class (or 2). I also have a 15% off coupon for Sephora, so it would be a waste not to at least go take a look around right? That’s what I thought! And of course i’ll be juicing…I’m craving carrot apple juice, so definitely some of that! 🙂

Spring Clean Detox Day 1

As I sit here in my fuzzy robe, enjoying a sitcom, and sipping some chamomile peppermint tea reflecting on my day, I have come to the conclusion that I really CAN do anything I put my mind to (if I want it bad enough).

This morning started like many other Monday mornings–rushing around, reaching for a banana…uh oh, nope can’t have that–putting the banana back, and grabbing my many bottles of juice and heading to work. The more I thought about the fact that I was doing a juice cleanse, the hungrier I became and the more I wanted a banana, an apple, an orange…shoot, I probably would have even attempted to eat a raw potato around 11:30am. Instead, I gave myself a little pep talk, convinced myself that the cravings were in my head and that if I just drank a little more juice i’d be fine, and made myself a cup of detox tea.

The tea has a very strong ‘black licorice’ smell to it, but the taste is quite mild. I let it steep for 7-8 minutes and pretended it was soup. I know this sounds sort of ridiculous, but I also know myself and I had PLENTY of juice to drink that I shouldn’t actually be so ravenous. After my tea, I drank another bottle of juice and I felt much better.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel after my first day, and although I created a workout last night I was not going to be heart broken if I was too tired. However, I got home from work, and felt fine so I decided to give it a shot. Some people discourage you from working out during a detox like this, but I know my body and if I felt off in any way I would have stopped immediately, but truthfully I felt great.

My workout tonight was broken into 3 parts Arms/Shoulders, Abs, HIIT, and a bonus part SQUATS!!

The challenge, which I found on instagram, is called “Squategeddon” and let me just say, it destroyed my booty. Well, to be honest, my behind feels fine, it was my knees I was worried about for the last 45-50 squats but I made it.

Today’s workout looked like this: 10 reps 3 sets

Arms/Shoulder                                                ABS

1.Tricep push-up                               1. Crunches

2.Clean and Press                              2. Leg Lifts

3.Bicep curl                                         3. Bicycle Crunch

4.Lateral Raise                                   4. V-sit crunch

5.Bent Barbell row                            5. Scissor legs (not really sure what they’re called)

6. Rear Delt fly                                    6. Russian Twist

 

I  also did 1 round of burpees, mountain climbers, jump squats, skaters, and squat thrusts, but then I got a little distracted and started doing knee to feet jumps and sort of forgot all about finishing the last 2 sets. Oops. And finally, for today’s Squat challenge I did 215 squats. My bum will thank me in time, but i’m sure tomorrow my quads will hate me.

All in all, today was a success. I didn’t break the detox, I exercised, and I didn’t snap or throw anything at anyone–a successful day 1 indeed. Only 9 more days to go…I got this.

Detox Eve (also known as the night I got beet juice over everything in the kitchen).

Have I mentioned lately that I have the most incredible husband? No? Okay, well I do. You know that scene from practically every a few romantic comedies where the man just does the right thing at the absolute perfect time? Well today, I experienced that moment. I was lying on my bed dying a slow death curled up with insane ‘lady time’ cramps and creating my workout list for the upcoming week, praying that the disgusting ‘FOR HER’ tea I gagged down earlier would help my issues when hubby (whom I shall sometimes refer to as AB) returned from his outing bearing gifts.  He surprised me with flowers, cupcakes, and *drum roll please* a Pink Hot water bottle (complete with a cute little knit sweater). I had been discussing natural remedies with my girlfriends earlier in the day, and decided I needed a hot water bottle and mentioned to hubby that I should probably buy one today when I finished at the gym. I didn’t tell him that I didn’t get one, but obviously he knows me well and knew I’d probably forget until I was home in the fetal position. I am so lucky to have such a thoughtful man–I’m the one with cramps, yet he’s the one who remembered the bottle—go figure.

I know what you’re thinking right now, well, I don’t know for sure but I have a pretty good guess. “Regena, your detox started today, you cheated on the first day WITH A CUPCAKE…the horror” Well, actually, the detox doesn’t start until Wednesday now because my dad’s 60th birthday is on Tuesday and my mom didn’t want to torture herself by being on a cleanse on his birthday. And since my dad may do it with her, they want to start together. I’m not going to lie tho, I can’t say that I would have refused the cupcake even if I WAS doing the detox today…I mean, can you really blame me? Look at it…

Although mom doesn’t begin the SPRING CLEAN until Wednesday, I have decided to go ahead and start tomorrow anyway. It doesn’t matter that I will be 2 days ahead of her, in fact it may actually even be a positive. By the time she’s on day 2 and 3 and craving foods, I can assure her it gets better (fingers crossed that it does get better) and encourage her to stick with it. I also think this will help me stay strong because if I quit on day 2, 3, 4 etc my mom probably will too, and I really want her to do this. In preparation for the upcoming detox I spent the evening preparing some tasty juice for tomorrow. I know, I know, it’s better for you immediately after you juice it, and I agree, but I am not about to get up tomorrow morning at 4:30 am to juice beets, carrots, apples, etc. so I didn’t have any other options.

I am hoping to survive all 9 days of the detox (the 7 of my own, and the last 2 days with my mom)…and unless I quit by day 4 I actually plan to add on a Day 10 because somehow a 10 day detox seems to balance out better than a 9 day detox. I realize this probably doesn’t make any sense, but that is how my mind works and I can’t exactly help it. If I can stick to my plan this will mean I will be doing a full juice cleanse from April 8 until 17. I have a friend’s birthday dinner in the middle of this detox, but I have already factored this into my plan. For dinner I am going to have a small clean salad, with lemon juice and San Pellegrino (If you’re reading this CS don’t worry, I WANT to come–detox or no detox).

I am feeling quite positive about the upcoming juicing feast, and although I am nervous that I will miss eating solid food, I know that the benefits will make it worthwhile.  My stomach and intestines need the break, and i’m sure my liver wouldn’t mind the vacation either.

For some reason tonight, all of the juices I made contained a beet, which obviously translates into Regena must get beet juice on her fingers, not notice, and then touch everything within arm length.  I now have beet juice on every dishtowel in the kitchen…and my self, and the cupboards, and the fridge door. In case you didn’t get it, I’m messy.

Out of the 3 juices I made tonight, I think my favourite juice was probably the one I was most nervous about. It contains a ton of Kale and although it smells very strongly of kale’s bitterness, it tastes very sweet. Oh, and I like to give my juices funny names, so consider yourself warned.

Purple People Hugger (instead of eater, because i’m a dork)

1 beet 

3 carrots

3 oranges

Large bunch of Kale (entire pack of black kale)

1″ piece of ginger 

I offered some juice to my husband, but he looked like I offered him a live scorpion to eat. He smelled it and said it smelled repulsive–so I guess he’s not perfect after all. He ‘tasted’ it and then quickly said he couldn’t drink more because he was hungry and didn’t want to spoil his dinner. Nice cover AB, nice cover. 😀

Anyway, I’m off to bed. I am excited for Day 1. I have a workout planned for tomorrow, so I think the ultimate test will be whether I feel energetic enough after a day of work to actually complete it. Have a great evening, and wish me luck!

Spring Cleaning–good for your windows, closets, and liver!

Well i’m back from Nova Scotia and fully revitalized. Hmm…okay not exactly true. My spirit feels awake and refreshed, but my poor body is exhausted. Apparently staying up til 2am, and getting up at 7 am every day while on vacation isn’t the best way to relax. It doesn’t matter tho, because I had a wonderful time. I spent time with my parents, grandparents, and sisters and could have used another 5 or 6 days to squeeze in even more fun, but i’ll take what I can get.

Going into the trip, I was nervous that my mom would be insanely judgmental of my predominately raw lifestyle, but instead she fully embraced it and had ridiculous amounts of fruit cut up for me all the time. I have to admit, I had planned to make her breakfast in bed, but instead I woke up to her bringing me a giant fruit try. *sigh* Both of my parents commented on my complexion and how healthy I looked, so I suppose they found it hard to argue with what they could see. If I looked sickly and pale, I think they would have given me a hard time, but luckily the way I eat is doing my body good.

I normally head home to NS for a long weekend and sleep and read, but this trip I made it my mission to do as many nice things for my family as possible. Let’s see…I surprised my dad by showing up at 1am and hiding in the porch. He kept pinching himself to ensure he wasn’t dreaming. I treated my mom to a huge birthday dinner, made her a cake, and decorated the house. I also bought her a juicer, but in pure Regena fashion, I gave it to her early because I couldn’t wait any longer. It worked out tho, because she wanted me to teach her some of my juicing recipes. I bought maternity clothes for my baby sister, and played hair stylist to my other sister. I took home tons of little presents, but I realized while standing at the airport looking into my mother’s tearful eyes that it wasn’t the ‘things’ I brought home that mattered the most. *sniff*

 

We spent a lot of time driving while I was home. My grandmother lives 5 hours away, so we drove there and back. The airport is 2 hours away, so yeah…had to get there too. Normally, we jump in the van and head to our destination only stopping every 45 minutes when my baby bladder forces us to do so, but this trip we actually enjoyed the scenery along the way and had little adventures. We followed the GPS on my phone and found Starbucks  checked out a few parks, and even took a few detours just because we could. It was so nice to just relax and chat with my parents. Well it was nice until they started reminiscing about the tornado that was me as a child. I won’t go into detail, but I had a crazy imagination and was obsessed with being a pterodactyl -there was a point in my life (around the age of 5)where my mother was constantly afraid I would break my legs because I jumped off of anything higher than a step (*I once flew off my neighbors banister into the wall…My bad).

While I was home my mom and I swapped stories of spring cleaning. My mom pointed out a giant (size of a fist) brown spider outside of her window and said “You’re a vegan now, do you want to rescue it before I start cleaning and knock it to the ground”. Uh yeah…I may be a vegan, and want all creatures to be treated with care but there is NO WAYYYYY I am touching that giant hairy leggy thing. *shudders* Confession time, I need to clean my own windows but there are spiders lurking outside, so they may just stay dirty until I can no longer see out of them…or the spider realizes it likes the taste of human flesh and eats me in my sleep. Whoops, I got a little distracted there–the point was that we were discussing spring cleaning, and the topic of spring cleaning for the body came up. My mom liked the suggestions I gave her, but being a crazy person (I do come by it honestly) she decided to do a juice feast. I say feast because there will be no starving going on here, but instead plenty of clean, homemade fresh amazing juice. I agreed to do it with her, because let’s be honest I could use a little pick me up. (I was supposed to be aiming for abs, and technically I still am, but my friends all quit, so it’s been slow going for me…so maybe this will focus me once again).

The detox/spring cleaning/juice feast starts on Sunday, April 8th and lasts for 7 days. Mom wants to try to do it for 14 days, and I promised that I would continue with her but with several modifications. I plan to do smoothies instead of just juice after the first 7 days, and i’ll probably eat bananas too. Additionally, she wants to continue the spring clean for 28 days (so 2 additional weeks) but will incorporate green smoothies and raw fruits and veggies. I am afraid that she is not going to consume enough calories the first few days and will be tempted the quit, so I will be calling her every day–probably twice a day–to keep her motivated. If you could use a spring clean, feel free to join us. A detox/spring clean doesn’t have to mean ONLY juice or ONLY smoothies, but perhaps you eat a lot of fried foods–try cutting that out for a week, or adding a green smoothie to your day. Little changes can make a big impact.

I am not looking to lose any weight, and will probably consume several liters of juice per day to keep up my energy, but I am so excited for the mental and physical benefits that come with detoxification. I am ready for the clearer skin, better mental clarity, healthier hair, and of course feeling light and revitalized. I tried telling my mom how it feels to give up all of that junk, but she’s not convinced yet. Of course she wants to feel lighter and healthier, but she’s going for weight loss, so I have to show her that weight loss isn’t the most important part of this detox. Let’s hope that this 28 day journey will awaken her younger self and she will continue this healthier lifestyle.

My beautiful Mother!