SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS!

You guys, I have a little confession to make.  I really need to get this off my chest…  I am kind of addicted to taking shots right after I wake up. It has become a part of my daily routine.  I mean hey, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere right?  Before you go signing me up for the show Intervention, let me clarify.  These are alcohol-free shots…I’m talking about mega nutrient packed shots! These bad boys (or I guess I should call them ‘good guys’) will put a pep in your step, and provide you with a potent punch of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mojo.

If you are feeling run-down, a cold coming on, or just want a boost of energy, try taking one of these shots and you’ll be walking on sunshine!

Here are my 3 favorite shots:

1) Ginger-Lemon-Turmeric

• 2-inch piece of Ginger, juiced
• 1/4 Lemon, juiced
• 1-Inch turmeric juiced, or 1 tsp. ground Turmeric

–Ginger– Ginger contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols, which diminish pain, fight cancer, and boost immune function. Historically, ginger has long been known to diminish GI distress and is also packed with antioxidants.

–Lemon– This provides a concentrated dose of Vitamin C and boosts your immune system. Lemons act as a natural diuretic and detoxifier. They also aid in combating diseases and viruses.

–Turmeric– I could rant about the health benefits of turmeric forever. In short, the main compound found in turmeric, curcumin, is known to inhibit cancer cell growth.  Other health benefits include potent anti-inflammatory, effective treatment for IBS, Rheumatoid Arthritis relief, help for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers, improves liver function, lowers cholesterol, promotes heart health, and prevents Alzheimer’s disease. Yeah.. awesome sauce!

2) Ginger-Green Apple-Cayenne

• 2-inch piece of ginger, juiced
• A big splash of green apple juice
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

–Ginger-Listed above

–Green Apple– Rich in antioxidants, regulates blood sugar, promotes healthy teeth, and boosts energy.

–Cayenne– Increases metabolism, improves blood circulation, promotes heart health, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and fights cancer.

And last but certainly not least:

3) Wheatgrass

• Wheatgrass, juiced (enough to fill shot glass)
• I also like to add a splash of coconut water from time to time.

Health benefits of Wheatgrass:

• The most notable feature of the wheatgrass is its extremely high content of chlorophyll, approximately 70%, making it a superfood which is energizing and alkalizing.
• It is a complete food and an outstanding source of vitamin C, E, K and B complex (even B12). It is also rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, cobalt, germanium,, potassium, protein, and zinc.
• Contains a wide variety of amino acids (about 17 types) as well as a plethora of enzymes
• Boosts energy and mood
• Reduces stress
• Boosts immunity
• Promotes hair health
• Purifies the blood
• Anti-aging
• Fights diseases, viruses, and cancers
• Improves skin complexion
• Regulates blood pressure

These are nutritional powerhouse shots which also have a potent flavor, just a heads up.

The added bonus of these shots: Hangover not included 🙂

10 Day Juice Fast/Cleanse

Juice fasting.

I know, when you hear the word “fasting” negative thoughts such as starvation and impossible come to mind. But I’m talking about a JUICE fast. Juice fasting is about obtaining optimal health, boosting nutrition, detoxing, increasing energy, clearing your mind, and freeing yourself of stress and toxins. Juice fasting rejuvenates your body from the inside out. It completely detoxifies your body at the cellular and metabolic level. Think about how many times you eat during a day (I’m typically snacking every 3 hours), now imagine how much energy and time your body utilizes to digest that food. When you give your digestive tract a rest by only consuming fresh fruit and vegetable juices packed with nutrients and live enzymes, your body has massive amounts of energy to focus on detoxifying and healing itself. The body has an innate ability to heal itself, we just have to allow it to do so. For those of you that may not know, a juice fast consists of drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices (notably green juices) and water for a set period of time (typically lasting 3-10 days, but many people have gone much longer).

Completing a juice cleanse will provide you with a wide array of health benefits, including:
-More energy
-Toxin removal
-Increases mental clarity
-Regulates digestive system
-Aids in Weight loss
-Improves sleep patterns
-Glowing complexion/clearer skin
-Stops food addictions and cravings
-Improves immune function

I am currently on day five of a ten day juice cleanse. I embarked on a juice fast over a year ago and feel it’s time to conquer another one. I did not blog about the first one so this time I figured I could give you guys some insight into my 10 day juice fast/cleanse. For me, juice fasting is about improving my mental, physical, and spiritual state. I am so passionate about incorporating fresh fruit and vegetable juices into your life. The rewards and benefits are undeniable. I drink at least one or two per day as it is so drinking only juice for 10 days actually excites me. I know it may seem like an impossible task to not chew anything for 10 days, but trust me you can do it! It is a difficult task, but a doable one.

The juice I made for the first few days:

Here’s some insight into my fast thus far:

Day 1:

Today I was super stoked about starting the fast so it was easier than I thought. I have a cold press juicer and made enough juices to last me for the first three days which made it super convenient for me to grab a juice when I needed one. I’m drinking at least five- 16 oz. juices a day. Days 1-3 are typically the worst and hardest days of the fast. If you can get through those, the following days should get easier as your body welcomes the fast. I walked outside for an hour today. Mild exercise is okay, but anything too strenuous would be an overload. Walking outdoors is my  tranquil, spiritual, “me” time which I love and need. It allows me to reflect on things, clear my head, and focus on what is important. Overall, today was a great first day of fasting!

Day 2:

My energy level was a bit low today. I had a few headaches today, which is normal. Fatigue, irritability, insomnia, hunger pangs, and headaches are common in the first few days as the detoxification process begins and your body weans itself off food cravings and addictions. I craved food a few times throughout the day but drank tons of water anytime this occurred which helped! I did get a burst of energy late at night. Overall, I’d say today was a bit rough but not too horrible.

Day 3:

Today was much like day 2, still craved food a few times and had a headache at one point. My energy level seems to be higher today than it was yesterday. I have found that I have highs and lows when it comes to my energy level. Sometimes I feel run down and then there are times I will get random spurts of energy where I feel like Wonder Woman! I also felt a bit achy today.

Day 4:

I didn’t really think about food at all today. I almost have the mentality of being “too good” for food which helps in this process haha. I went for a walk in the morning and at night and found my energy level was quite high today. The fast has definitely become much easier today. I feel like I’m on top of the world and am excited about completing the ten days (crazy, right?!)

Day 5:

The past two days I have woken up at 5am on the dot without an alarm aka my sleep patterns are starting to regulate themselves and I sleep like a baby at night. My skin is clearing up and I feel super light and full of energy. Added bonus, I’m down five pounds. I have noticed an increase in mental clarity as well. I’d say the hardest part thus far is the cold weather. I allow myself a hot non-caffeinated herbal tea from time to time (which is allowed on a fast) to warm me up. I am pumped to see where the next five days take me and feel so much better than I did before starting this fast. Don’t let me fool you though, it does take mad willpower to stick to this. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Tips for Fasting/Cleansing:

-Drink at least 5 juices per day
-Drink TONS of water to help flush out toxins
-Experiment with juice recipes and find ones that you love. Creating a variety of tasty ones will make it much more appealing to drink.
-Don’t over exert yourself, especially the first few days when your energy level is low
-Know that symptoms of fatigue, irritability, headache, joint aches, hunger pangs, food cravings, and insomnia are normal during the first several days and should not be an excuse to give up.
-Drink non-caffeinated herbal teas from time to time to add some heat to your week
-Devote some time to yourself, whether it be through meditation, walking, prayer, etc.
-The first 3 days are rough…don’t let them get you down.
-Avoid watching TV- food commercials are torturous and hey, who needs TV anyways?!
-Get a juice fasting partner- It’s so much easier to complete with someone who is in the same boat as you and that provides encouragement.
-Make enough juices to last you several days for added convenience.
-If you need some juice recipes, I have lots on my blog!

I’ll keep you guys updated on my 10 day fast. I am most worried about Thanksgiving, Yes I will be that crazy girl juicing on Thanksgiving. I didn’t think that one through, but I know I can do it! If you have any questions about juice fasting, please feel free to ask!

**If you live in the Greenville, SC area and would like to order a cold-pressed juice cleanse, check out www.kukajuice.com

Have any of you completed a juice fast? What are your thoughts or experiences with juice fasting?

“FOOD”

Here’s a little sarcasm to jump start your day 🙂

Indulge Without The Bulge This Holiday Season

I posted this before Christmas last year, but I find it very fitting to give it a re-post! Hope you get some helpful tips for the holidays! Cheers!

While the holidays are a time for family and friends, we all know that food seems to be the key ingredient to every celebration! The average person gains five to ten pounds during this time of the year. I know you don’t want to end up with a Santa belly,  so here are some simple tips to help you indulge without the bulge:

1) EXERCISE. Even taking 30 minutes out of your day to go on a quick walk will work wonders! Get family and friends involved and exercising will turn into some quality time with them (gotta love that QT)! I know you’ve been scrambling to find those last minute gifts and making sure everything is perfect before the guests arrive, so exercising is exactly what you  need! Exercising will help you escape from all of that stress and make you feel like a new person!

2) Drink a GREEN smoothie or juice BEFORE. I am a huge advocate of this! Anytime I know I’m going to a dinner party or out to eat with friends (somewhere I might be tempted to eat something super unhealthy) I drink a green smoothie or juice before I go! It fills me up enough so I won’t be ravishing the menu when I get there, yet still leaves me with the right amount of hunger to choose the healthy option. If you go to a dinner party on an empty stomach, it becomes inevitable that you will make unhealthy eating choices.

3) Bring a healthy dish or two. Make a huge spinach salad with lots of yummy veggies, fruit kabobs, or a healthy dessert option that can fill your plate without the guilt. Making your own dish is great because who knows how much butter your Paula Deen of a relative put in that green bean casserole

4) You don’t have to clean your plate. I know our moms have all taught us to do the opposite of this, but eat until you feel satisfied instead of stuffed! Feeling full, yucky, and tired is the last way you wanna feel during this cheery time of the year!

5) Don’t be THAT girl/guy. Don’t be the one that gets too drunk at the party. Not only will you steer clear of being on YouTube the next day, but you’ll also steer clear of late night drunk eating! We all know alcohol lowers our inhibitions which makes us not give two cents if we eat half a pepperoni pizza at 2 am. So stay classy with your alcohol consumption… your ego and your waistline will thank you later

6) Stand up for yourself!  We all have that one persistent family member that will push that piece of pound cake on you a million times before the night is over. Like we learned in elementary school.. just say no! Don’ t be “bullied” into eating foods you know you shouldn’t eat! Also, don’t let the unhealthy left-overs be pawned off on you or your family..that’s just  more temptation that you don’t need!

7) Enjoy yourself!  It’s the holidays for pete’s sake, so enjoy yourself! Don’t let food choices consume your thoughts when you should be enjoying time with family and friends! Be mindful of your choices instead of obsessive! Pick a few of your feast favorites, and place a small golf ball amount of it on your plate! All you need is a taste to satiate your tooth for those not so healthy options without the guilt that comes along with them. Enjoy the real meaning of Christmas instead of just the food!

I’d also like to end this post by expressing my sympathies for the families of Newtown, CT. We should all be praying for them. What will it take to eradicate evil and guns from this country?

Life is precious and a Happy HEALTHY holidays to you all!

With love & peace,

Samantha

SUPER Spinach Salad

This is by far my favorite spinach salad! All you need is Spinach, Mixed Greens, Grape Tomatoes, Sliced Pear, Cucumber, Dried Cranberries, and Sliced Almonds!  You don’t even need dressing with the fruit in this salad or you can toss on one of your favorites!  I could eat this salad every day and still want more! Happy Friday!  🙂

Get Your “Sunshine” On!

New research suggests that more than 70% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. It’s a Pandemic! Receiving adequate sun exposure prompts our bodies to make Vitamin D which is why it’s known as the “Sunshine Vitamin.” But at this time of year and with skin cancer on the rise, taking a supplement form of the vitamin is imperative!

Many of us may be deficient in Vitamin D and not even know it!

The reason for  this deficiency is clear enough.  While our ancient ancestors spent a large amount of time in the sun doing their hunting and gathering thing, then farming, nowadays most of us (who am I kidding, practically ALL of us)  live and work indoors (gotta love those 9:00-5:00’s), and thus receive comparatively insufficient amounts of sunlight. This is notably true at this time of year when good sunlight is minimal!  Factors such as aging, dark skin, and obesity also lower one’s  Vitamin D levels even more than the average person.

According to new studies, Vitamin D deficiencies are progressively blamed for everything from cancer and heart disease to diabetes and depression. Another reason it’s called the sunshine vitamin…it makes us happy! 🙂  Not only is Vitamin D vital for building and maintaining strong bones through calcium absorption, but it has also been proven to counteract autoimmune diseases, chronic diseases,the flu, and mood disorders,etc…

Getting enough Vitamin D in your diet is rare as food sources are minimal. The main dietary sources are fish, egg yolks, cheese, and beef liver. Therefore taking Vitamin D supplements are extremely important. Vitamin D3 is the optimal form of the vitamin to take.

A daily dose of 2,000-5,000 I.U of Vitamin D3 is now recommended as an ideal target dose. It is very important to buy superior brands of vitamins, as many of them on the market are not properly absorbed in our bodies. I love a good bargain and buy my D3 from this website:    Get your D3 50% OFF!

Once I started taking Vitamin D3 supplements, I felt energized and renewed!

Start taking Vitamin D3 supplements and you’ll be WALKING ON SUNSHINE (and don’t it feel good…hey!)

Lean GREEN Juice

LOTS of spinach (about 1 1/2 cups juiced)

1- 1 inch slice pineapple

1 Orange

SPINACH-  Low in calories, and NUTRIENT DENSE!
Spinach, along with Kale, is known as one of the healthiest vegetables in the world.  Only one cup of spinach meets your daily requirements for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Manganese, and Folate, along with an abundant supply of Iron, Magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Calcium, and Potassium. Spinach also contains 13 different flavonoids which exhibit anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties. Scientific research has linked increased spinach consumption with DECREASES in cancer risks, blood pressure, and inflammation as well as IMPROVING skin, eyesight, brain function, bone health, and muscle strength.

PINEAPPLE-
VERY high in Vitamin C and Manganese. Vitamin C is the body’s primary  water-soluble antioxidant which fights against free radicals and is also vital for immune function. Manganese is an essential co-factor in energy production and antioxidant defenses.  Pineapple also contains the enzyme Bromelain, which has anti-cancer, anti-clotting, anti-inflammatory properties. Bromelain has also been linked to improved digestion, bone health, and gum health. (Bromelain is primarily found in the core so don’t be afraid to juice/eat that part)

ORANGES-  Packed with Vitamin C and high in flavonoids. Improves immune and respiratory function, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and most importantly fights against free radicals!

Talk about a great start to  your day! Happy JUICING!

GO RAW CHALLENGE

It’s official! I have completed the 31 day- GO RAW challenge (eating only raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds) and I loved it! I’m not gonna lie, there were a few times that I would have killed for a bowl of hot soup but I stayed strong and did not let my temptations get the best of me! I would definitely recommend that everyone at least try to be conscious of your food choices and make an effort to eat raw every chance you get! While I would love to say that I am going to be 100% raw for the rest of my life, I must be realistic and say that from now on I will, without a doubt, eat raw as much as possible (80% raw sounds good right?)!  The raw food challenge made me appreciate the things that GOD created for us! This experience made me reach outside of my comfort zone and try new fruits and veggies! I now have a greater appreciation for the distinct flavors and varieties of plants that are readily available for us to consume! It’s amazing how quick your taste buds can change to crave fruits and vegetables instead of chocolate and sweets! I now feel lighter, have a greater sense of clarity, improved digestion, more energy, and a whole new appreciation for foods in their raw forms! Eating living, RAW foods just makes you feel ALIVE (makes sense right?)! I am now aware that foods DO NOT need to be cooked to taste good. To me, there’s nothing better than biting into a huge piece of juicy pineapple! Throughout the process I drank a ton of juices and smoothies, made creative salads using fruit juices as “dressing”, made vegetable noodles, snacked on a variety of fruits and vegetables, made “desserts” with things such as crushed apples and cinnamon, etc.  While most raw foodists create complicated recipes and dehydrate things for hours to come up with the raw version of our typical cooked recipes, I believe it is far better to just stick with the basics… eating the fruits and vegetables in their simple states! It’s by far less work and is much more satiating! GO RAW and feel RENEWED! Are you up for the challenge?

In RAW fashion…

So sorry for the lapse in time since I last posted as I was on vacation in Florida…GO GAMECOCKS!

UPDATE on my GO RAW journey..

.

While vacationing in Florida, I utilized the first few days as a transition period and decided to go 80% RAW in order to properly prepare myself for the RAWesome 31 day trial ahead of me (the transition period is a great way to ease yourself into the process)!  I am now on Day 4 of going 100% RAW and I must say that I am loving it so far!  While the majority of my caloric intake has been coming from juicing and green smoothies, I have also been eating a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables!  It continues to amaze me how much fresh produce I can eat in a day without feeling that yucky full feeling that you get from the Standard American Diet which is undeniably a S.A.D one!

Evolution of Man with the S.A.D lifestyle (Don't let this be you)

My menu just the other day consisted of fresh orange juice (with the juice from 5 oranges) and TWO Green Juices (spinach,  kale, 3 granny smith apples, 1 cucumber, 4 large carrots). I also managed to eat 3 tomatoes, 12 oz. frozen blueberries, 6 oz raw snap peas, 2 oranges, 1 cucumber, a handful of raw nuts, a WHOLE pineapple, and SIX bananas (despite common belief, eating bananas will not make you fat).  I wish I had a photo of how much produce I eat in a day because it is pretty RAWmazing (I’ll work on getting one for ya). I already feel “lighter” than I did prior to this experience!

Many raw foodists use dehydrators to widen their array of foods to consume. While I think it could be interesting to try this out on occasion, taking the water content out of foods does not seem like something I want to be doing on a daily basis. I do think the dehydrator would be a must if you decide to eat raw for life. I do plan to start getting more creative with RAW recipes now that I am back from vacation so I will keep you updated on those!

My best advice to going raw is  make sure you are eating enough fruits and vegetables otherwise you might start feeling fatigued! Many times it scares us to EAT MORE (I have been guilty of this many times before).  But our bodies need calories and when you are filling them with 100% nutrition then it becomes almost impossible for us to eat too much fresh produce! I have finally come to realize that restricting calories actually makes you gain weight (which my old self never could grasp). You will also be less tempted to veer off the raw course if you feel satiated from eating a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure you are getting the rainbow effect going on when you are eating fresh produce to ensure a multitude of vitamins and nutrients!

I can already start to see why there are so many advocates of going raw! I believe this experience will enhance my physical self as well as my spiritual self! I am ecstatic to see where this path leads me! I will continue to keep you updated on my GO RAW journey and if you have any questions please ask away!

Cheers to a HAPPY and HEALTHY New Year!!

Ring in the New Year Going RAW!

As a fresh and healthy start to the new year I have decided to EAT RAW for 31 days! When you first hear RAW FOOD, you initially think of raw eggs, raw fish, raw meats, sushi, etc..but what about raw fruits and vegetables?!

So What is Raw Foodism?

Raw Foodism is the practice of consuming only UNCOOKED, UNPROCESSED, typically ORGANIC foods.  While there are many derivations of what foods are included in this practice, I’m going to stick with raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.  Organic herbs and spices will also be included. So this means I will only be eating raw (uncooked) fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds for 31 days!

I know what you’re thinking! Why would I do such a thing?

There is research to support this practice. By the 1930s, it had become a universal knowledge in the medical field that “digestive leukocytosis” occured in the human body after eating a cooked meal of food. This means that the white blood cell count would significantly rise after eating a cooked meal, as if the body was being attacked by a foreign invader like it does with a virus or bacteria. So in 1930, Dr. Kouchakoff decided to test this theory with raw uncooked, unprocessed foods.

Kouchakoff’s team analyzed the blood levels of test subjects who had eaten many different types of food and without fail found that when they consumed raw food, or food that was not refined, there was no reaction in the blood. The body regarded these foods to be non-threatening. On the other hand, the response was undoubtedly different for cooked foods. The body treated these foods just as it would  to protect itself from a foreign pathogen, increasing white blood cells. He found the worst offenders to be foods that were refined, homogonized, pasteurized, preserved, and microwaved. These cooking techniques caused severe digestive leukocytosis in the blood.

Raw foodists also believe that when you cook foods above 115 degrees Fahrenheit, vital enzymes and nutrients are destroyed, causing more harm to the body than good. They claim that the benefits to eating raw include weight loss, improved digestion, more energy, clear skin, and improved overall health. So I thought I would test this theory and see what all the hype is about by giving it at least a 31 day trial! I’ll be keeping you up to date along the way on my thoughts and feelings throughout the experience!

I’m sure you are asking “But where will you get protein?”

Most green vegetables (especially the dark leafy ones) contain more protein per calorie than meat! I will be eating a TON of dark leafy greens on a daily basis as well as some nuts and seeds which are packed with protein! I will be eating more fruits and vegetables in one day than the majority of Americans eat in one month!

So who’s with me?? Who wants to test this theory and see just how great eating these raw foods for 31 days will make us feel? Are you up for the challenge?

I think it will be RAWmazing! Bring it on 2012 🙂