I decided to put all the photos I've taken for the month into a photo "slide show" - Maybe I'll go back and do that for the 1st 4 months - It's a cool way to chronicle my journey. What do you think?
The Last Photo Says:
My Journey Continues
I started Feb 6 - 2012
It's July 29th-2012
I've lost 31 Pounds
From a size 16 to a 6.
I continue to NOT SMOKE (don't miss it either)
To This Day I Have Also eliminated: Alochol, Beef, Chicken, Dairy, Eggs, and Processed Foods from my Diet.
(Although Some Of My Photo's Have These Items In them, Does Not Mean I've Eaten Them.)
Vitamix - What a powerful "Blender". It's more than a blender. It's a Food Processor, Blender, Juicer (although a little to pulpy for me) a seed grinder and chopper.... AND FAST!
I have to admit, I did try to make a Sorbet when I first opened the box but ended up with a smoothie. So I poured it into Ice Cube trays and made juice cubes with it. These will make healthy little refreshers. My first drink was a Grape, Strawberry and Orange Smoothie (handful of grapes, strawberries and 1 orange, made enough for 1 smoothie). Then last night I was trying to make beverage, and ended up with a Sorbet (go figure)- You know the saying Nothing is as easy as it looks! It's easy, but it just takes a little finesse!
I didn't video tape it but I did make my green juice in the Vitamix and I have to say "CURRENTLY I prefer the Juice Extracted juice rather than the "smoothie" version with all the pulp still in". However, I'm not giving up and will keep trying it to see if it's just an acquired taste.
This Video was done July 25th - my first smoothie- click play to watch -
The Vitamix I bought (I bought it at the Kitchen store in Portsmouth, NH (they also sell it at Bed, Bath and Beyond) is the CIA Version with 64 oz container (and is the same as the Vitamix 5200 but with the CIA logo on it). In addition to the Vitamix it came with a beautiful 358 color illustrated cookbook with recipes developed by professional chefs from around the U.S. (a list of their individual sites is below). So I have my work cut out for me in learning to use the Vitamix and also adapting some of the recipes to more plant based ingredients (where I can, I can still prepare the meat based ones, I'll just prepare those for Bruce and guests).
Hey there happy July! I did a little Video Update yesterday and in it I say " my BMA"... I should have said "my BMI" .... (BMI - body mass index,) I realize that BMI according to what I've read was designed for population studies, however, due to its simplicity, is widely used for individuals, despite its inappropriateness due to the large variances between people (like it doesn't factor in muscle mass, so muscular people will have a high BMI, thus they would appear overweight according to BMI but are actually very lean). Also short people (shorter than me, may have a high BMI than would be expected for their size...). Just suffice it to say that "FOR ME" I'm using the BMI as a "guage". And based on MY BMI - I have 9 pounds to go to be within the "healthy weight" range. Not a bad goal.
I'm loving the Summer Season and the Fresh Vegetables ------
Do you want to make the Tasteiest Salad in the world. I'm sure this is not new to most people, but to me I'm in heaven.
4 cups of Baby Spinach, 4 cups of baby Aurgula, 2 cups fresh basil leaves, grape tomatoes (you can add any kind their in season right now and delicious), 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, and a little VOO and Balsamic Vinigar (I just eyeballed it just enough to coat the leaves when you drizzle it then mix it all together). Makes a sensational salad, the BASIL! OMG! My colleague gave me the receipe and I call it the Cox Salad! When I made it the other night I had a little bit of left overs and put it through the juicer when I made my Mean Green Juice the next morning (Wow was that good) - Try it.
My 4th of July Snack! Blueberries, Strawberries and Bananas!
Well, it's been 4.8 months since I started my journey, and I'm still going strong.-
(No Smoking, no Drinking, no Meat, no Dairy,no Eggs, no Processed Foods) Instead, I'm Juicing twice a day and Eating Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Nuts, Seeds & Legumes (and an occasional piece of fish) .......And loving it!
I was chatting with an acquaintance yesterday who back in 1996 began "Juicing" and because he was juicing he said that he was also doing "colonics" to "help move everything along" and clean out the build up of toxins that get stored in the body. Well, I don't know (I'm not a doctor and don't pretend to know a whole lot about this stuff) but after almost 5 months of juicing and eating fruits,vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes only, I think my body is doing a fine job of cleaning itself - I just don't think that going to that level (colonic) is really necessary if you are eating the right foods and not consuming bad stuff like processed foods (or foods that you cannot pronounce the ingredients on the label)... (Just my opinion) and from what I've read there are arguments for it and against it. What's Your Opinion on this?
Also, while chatting, my acquaintance told me about another juicer called the Norwalk which he swears by. I asked what it cost and he said $2,000 - That rules me out right there - But, I still wanted to see what this juicer was and so, I did a search for it online. Oh my god, if I used this juicer I'd probably quit juicing - Even though according to what I read, the yield, in terms of quantity of juice and quality of nutrients is 100% greater compared to a centrifugal force extractor like the one I have, but after watching some of the video demonstrations - it looks incredibly time consuming.
And TIME is one of the biggest challenges in making juicing a part of your lifestyle (according to friends who have gone out and purchased a juicer then quit after only a couple of weeks). The time for PREP and clean up is too much. I mentioned in an earlier posting that I spend more time in the kitchen now than I ever have. I equated it to having kids that you had to get up in the morning for to get them ready for school and make breakfast and lunches for..... And I don't have kids. So Juicing for me has been a learning experience. One which I have come to really enjoy - If I don't have a juice in the morning, I really miss it. I love the taste and how I feel after drinking it. Plus, I make juice for 2 of us, for the morning and juice for the day - and then I have to clean up before I leave the house - My Cuisinart Juice Extractor is terrific and fast, but clean up is a little more challenging than using say the Waring Pro (which I also talked about in an earlier post). But, it's become a part of my daily routine and the amount of time it takes is workable for me.
But looking at the Norwalk - Wow - Check out this video (you might want to skip through some of it, as its long video) - Imagine juicing a couple times a day with this! - also look at the size of the hopper (one carrot at a time) - But, like anything else, it's how you want to incorporate it into your life and how much TIME you have to do it. This may work for some, but not for others. For me, THE NORWALK is to expensive and would be to time consuming - Yes, Yes I know I'd get more Juice from it - There are trade offs you have to make.
In this particular video, the guy peels the carrots. I don't peel or cut the carrots with my juicer I just clean them. But THAT is another topic for another Post and another day.
I decided to put all the photos I've taken for the month into a photo "slide show" - Maybe I'll go back and do that for the 1st 4 months - It's a cool way to chronicle my journey. What do you think?
