Crockpot Lu Pulu Recipe

Lu Pulu, rice, and broccoli salad

Yesterday my Visiting Teachers came by.  As we sat and talked they mentioned how much they admired my garden, especially the taro patch by the front door.  We have perhaps ten different varieties of taro that have been acquired from all over the island.  Most have been planted in what used to be the "swamp" by the front door. The taro is thriving in the wet ground and our entry looks so much better with them planted there. 

Of course, we had to discuss what we do with taro.  I mentioned that I wanted to learn to make pork lau lau. So sad; I don't have salted butterfish on hand, so that was out. Tongan lu pulu was mentioned as another tasty and easy (I LOVE easy recipes) way to use taro leaves. AND you can make it in the crockpot! How wonderful is that?!

So this morning I set out early to gather taro leaves, in the rain no less (the uber frequent rain is the reason we had a swamp by our front door.) I cut thirty leaves out of my mostly young plants and set to work cleaning and slicing. I sliced up the leaves before adding them to the crockpot, but apparently that's not necessary. I layered all the ingredients and let the whole thing cook on low for 6 hours.  We came back from church to the fragrance of cooked luau leaves, corned beef, and onion.  It was lovely.

Taro patch after the scalping

Here's what I learned: although the lu pulu was tasty, it was rather bland for my family.  Next time, I will add soy sauce and maybe a little crushed hot pepper to each layer, even though that takes it out of the traditional realm.  I will also only use younger leaves rather than a mixture of old and new leaves.  The old ones were much tougher and didn't melt into the rest of the leaves the way they were supposed to.  Maybe it's a duh, but I didn't take the longer cooking time for the older leaves into account when I was harvesting. I'll also have to try the traditional method of using NZ corned beef instead of the rectangular canned stuff. This time around I only used two cans of coconut milk; I may increase that to three on the next go 'round.

This recipe is easy, especially when you use bagged taro leaves (also called luau leaves, or lau lau leaves) from the grocery store. I hope you'll try it.

Crockpot Lu Pulu 

Taro leaves (aka luau leaves or lau lau leaves) (I used 30 leaves), either sliced up or simply layered in the pan
2 large onions, chopped (use 2 if you love onions, 1 if you like less) (I used 4 really large bunching onion bulbs because I had them)
2 cans corned beef (NZ corned beef if you are a purist, American if that's all you have)
2 or 3 cans of coconut milk

1. Layer 1/3 of your leaves in the bottom of the crockpot.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 of the chopped onions on top of the leaves.
3. Layer chunks of the corned beef on top of the onions.
4. Pour one can of coconut milk over everything.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4.
6. End with a layer of taro leaves.
7. Pour your third can of coconut milk, if you are using it, over everything.
8. Cook on low heat for 6 hours.

Serve over rice.

Happy eating!

Day 1 of New Eating Habits

Today's blog is pretty mundane. Tomorrow will give the beige wall some real competition.

I woke up feeling good.  I have energy. I lost another 2 pounds overnight. I get to eat normally. How much better could life be?

BREAKFAST
Family: They ate cereal
Me: 1/2 papaya, about 1/2 cup of Indian eggplant and tomatoes

Today is a pretty normal Saturday; cleaning the house, doing laundry, shopping for shorts for Butterfly (she gets to use her birthday gift cards).  It feels like there should be a celebration of some sort for my new life. Honestly, I just feel wonderful. I MUST be feeling good; I'm cleaning and organizing without reason.

LUNCH
Family: Sourdough hotdogs (I asked if they wanted me to make lunch for them - negatory)
Me: Salad of spinach, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, sliced pieces of a mozzarella stick, sesame dressing. Yum.

Shopped with Butterfly for camp shorts and t-shirts.  She was happy with the new stuff. She leaves on Monday and will be gone for 4 days.  Whoo hoo!  What shall I do for fun?

DINNER
Leftovers for all. I also had a bowl of salad greens for dessert.  I ate each exquisite bite in pure bliss.

Went for a 2-mile walk just for fun.

I am so very happy!

Juice Fast - Day 8

After yesterday's 12-mile jaunt I find myself rather stiff today. At least my legs and feet don't hurt. There's still some minor peripheral neuropathy but nothing like prior to the juice fast.  I'm grateful for that.

BREAKFAST
Family: omelet and honeydew melon cubes
Me: I could barely stand the idea of drinking any more juice, so I just drank water.

Hiked down to lower Wahiawa with Butterfly and dropped her off. She seemed happy enough to go do her volunteer work. I walked over to the waiting room to rest before walking home and read more cooking magazines.  It was undoubtedly  not working in my favor to be reading about food while I could only drink my meals, but like gawking at the scene of an accident - I could't seem to stop myself.

I slowly walked up the hill very stiff and muscle sore.  I made it home, drank water and went to bed for an hour.  I awoke barely able to move.  It's a good thing that NSAIDs are over the counter drugs.

LUNCH
Butterfly said she had kalua pig and rice and root beer.
I still could't handle the idea of drinking any more juice so I drank more water.

I was getting crankier and crankier, no doubt because of lack of nourishment, but I could't seem to force myself to drink any more juice. I rested until it was time to get Butterfly.

I walked as briskly as I could back down the hill and had 10 minutes to sit in the air-conditioned waiting room before Butterfly arrived.  She had had  a good day and said that she was feeling good about working with the patients.  I don't think I mentioned that she is volunteering in the long-term care facility that sits across the parking lot from the hospital.  She said she chatted with a gentleman that was originally from Arizona and that she was beginning to bond with some of the patients.  I was so happy to hear that.  She also said that she had already told the staff that she was volunteering 4 days a week beginning after she gets back from Girl's Camp next week. Wow!

We slowly walked back up the hill, resting once on the way.  Butterfly was a good sport and patiently waited for me.  We were both pretty pooped when we got home; me from walking 12 miles and she from walking 6 miles and being on her feet for 6 1/2 hours.  I was pretty proud of both of us.

By this time I was light-headed. I waited until almost 6 o'clock before deciding that since I was irritable, dizzy and absolutely revolted by the idea of blending up more juice, that it was time to end my juice fast. I needed real food.  So I ate 1/4 cup of Indian eggplant and tomatoes, 1/2 cup of fried rice, and 1/2 cup of chicken stir-fry.  Later I ate 1 slice of pumpkin bread.  My stomach had shrunk considerably so I couldn't eat much.  Good.

This has been a good experience for me.  I've lost 6 pounds in 8 days.  I can see my feet without bending forward. I've started exercising again. I've learned that green vegetables provide the nourishment that take away my foot/leg pain. I've learned that vegetables and fruit need to make up half the meal and I only need half of what I had been eating prior to the fast. I've also learned that I need a decent juice menu and a real plan the next time I do this.

I feel calm and centered again.

Juice Fast - Day 7

I must remember this saying.  It's a good philosophy to work into my now-changed lifestyle.

Today is Butterfly's first day of volunteer service.  I'll hike down there with her and make sure she's situated before walking home.  Then I'll hike down there again to walk home with her when she's done.

BREAKFAST
Family: Sourdough Pancakes and honeydew melon cubes
My drink: 1 Granny Smith apple, 1 orange, 1 banana, 1 Bartlett pear, 1 cup of honeydew melon cubes.

I didn't blend this as much as I have in the past.  That made is much easier to strain out most of the pulp.  I'd have to filter the rest of the juice through a coffee filter in order to get the remaining pulp out, but this was pretty good stuff.  Sweet and comforting.

Butterfly was very nervous about today.  She was afraid that people wouldn't like her. That's a common fear of high school girls.  I reassured her that almost everyone likes her and that she'll be fine. I don't think she believed me. I was afraid that she would refuse to go but she ate breakfast, dressed and walked with me to her very first experience working with people she didn't know ahead of time. I left her in the capable hands of the other volunteers.

I stopped at Foodland after leaving the hospital.  I wandered through the deli and gourmet cheese sections.  I'd never really looked at what was in those areas because I normally go into a grocery with a shopping list and leave right after picking up my supplies.  Today I just browsed and was delighted to find food in the deli that I want to reproduce at home and cheeses that I want to taste when I'm done with this fast.

I went expressly to purchase oranges and apples but found a lovely cabbage that I wanted to use for both juicing and making dinner for the family.  I picked up 5 oranges, 5 Fuji apples, and the head of cabbage.  It wasn't until I'd left the store that I realized just how much weight I was going to have to cart home - 12 pounds of produce to sling over my shoulder and walk 3 miles uphill back home.  What was I thinking?

There are nine bus stops between Foodland and my house.  I rested at six of them.  I needed an hour nap before I had the energy to make lunch.

LUNCH
Butterfly is eating at the hospital cafeteria. As a volunteer who puts in more than 5 hours during a shift she is given a lunch voucher.  I found out later that she had chicken and rice, curly fries, onion rings, and root beer. It's a good thing I try to provide a healthier meal at home...
I drank: a wedge of cabbage, 1 wedge onion, 1 chayote, 1 stalk celery.  It was okay.  A heavy sprinkle of pepper made it better.

I started back down the hill at 2:30 to pick up Butterfly.  I walked briskly and had 20 minutes in the air conditioned waiting room before she was finished.  I luxuriated in reading food magazines while I waited.

Butterfly had a good experience.  She confessed that she had been afraid that she would be bullied while working.  I was a little shocked to hear that; maybe it's a holdover from being bullied in middle school (I took care of that problem as soon as I found out). Today there were other high school volunteers that she was able to make friends with.  She's still nervous about going back tomorrow but she's not afraid of this new experience anymore.  I'm very glad.

DINNER
Family had Chicken Stir-fry, brown rice, green salad.
I looked up a juice fast recipe that had 1 beet, 4 carrots, 1 knob ginger, and 1/2 lemon.  I added a few sprigs of leftover cilantro from the family dinner.  IT WAS AWFUL!  I choked it down but the 2 tablespoons of vinegar that I drink after dinner was far more palatable than the drink.

Lunch and dinner were dismal.  I've decided that I can only do this for the original 10 days.  I'd much rather eat beets, carrots, and other vegetables separately so I can taste each item. I miss being able to taste the different parts of a meal.  Right now everything is blended together, strained and then I drink it. My tongue tastes "green" all the time now.

Tonight's family dinner

I've learned how important it is for my health to eat more vegetables and fruits.  This is an important lesson but I'll certainly be glad when this experiment is over.

Chicken Stir-fry Recipe

Chicken Stir-fry

This recipe is adapted from Food.com

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 teaspoon Kaiulani Hawaiian Cajun seasoning (optional)
1 teaspoon Kaiulani Exotic Hot Curry seasoning (optional)
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granule

1. 1
   Cut chicken into 1/2 inch strips; place in a resealable plastic bag.
2. 2
   Add cornstarch and toss to coat.
3. 3
   Combine soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder; add to bag and shake well.
4. 4
   Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. 5
   In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil; stirfry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes.
6. 6
   Remove and keep warm.
7. 7
   Add remaining oil; stir fry broccoli, celery, carrots, and onion separately until crisp-tender.
8. 8
   Mix water, soy sauce,  sake, five spice, Hawaiian Cajun, Exotic Curry, and bouillon.
9. 9
   Return chicken and vegetables to pan. Add the liquid and mix.
10. 10
    Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Juice Fast - Day 6

Still having trouble with feet and legs at night.  It's no longer pain (thank goodness), now it's more uncomfortable and "creepy feeling" and "twitchy".  I'm very restless for hours. I ended up on the couch with my legs raised again last night.  In spite of that, I woke up feeling pretty good this morning. My legs aren't hurting during the day. Hurrah for that!

BREAKFAST
1 large kale stalk, 2 carrots, 1 handful spinach, 1 handful rattail radish, 1 Granny Smith apple, 1 banana, 1 knob ginger.  This was not one of the better combinations.  It's drinkable but just barely. Note to self: although rattail radish makes a wonderful salad addition and is great as a snack, a handful in the blender is overkill.

Today's our excursion back into Wahiawa town.  It might end up being a little more than 6 miles since we'll be be traveling over the the hospital for Butterfly to drop off her volunteer application, and then we'll check out the work the Surfing the Nations folks are doing at renovating part of downtown.

LUNCH

A handful of spinach, a couple spears of broccoli, 4 plum tomatoes and a handful of cherry tomatoes, 1 knob of ginger.  This made an incredibly unfortunate-looking brown yucky color.  If I were squeamish I'm not sure I'd be able to drink it. It also tasted very blah.  I dressed it up with Italian seasoning, pepper, garlic powder and the ubiquitous Tabasco sauce to make it at least marginally palatable. The color is incredibly off-putting.

We hiked down to town, had Butterfly's TB test read, walked over to the hospital and spoke with the director of volunteer services.  This very nice man works with a lot of high school volunteers.  I was surprised to hear that the two local high schools have classes that require volunteer work and the schools have mandated that seniors complete a "senior project" before graduating.

Director asked Butterfly which class she was doing the volunteer work for.  She seemed confused at this question so I piped up that she had a mother that believed in the value of helping others so there she was. I'm not sure she appreciated my "help".

Butterfly starts her volunteer work tomorrow and will work on Thursdays and Fridays from 9 until 3:30. I'll walk down with her in the morning and will walk back down to pick her up.  That will make a 12 mile hike for me on Thursdays and Fridays.  I really hope it works out okay for me.

DINNER
Family ate: Oven-Fried Chicken, green beans with dill, mashed sweet potatoes, spinach salad.
I drank: 1 stalk kale, 1 wedge onion, 1/2 green pepper, 1 stalk celery, 6 plum tomatoes, 1 baby bok choy, 1 clove garlic, heavy sprinkle of black pepper, many shakes of Tabasco. This was good but I'm getting tired of the monotony of the drinks. I love just smelling food now.  I'm not going to break my fast but real food sure smells great.

I'm thinking that food is a multi-sensual experience for me.  Not only do I like eating, I like making the food, I like the way it looks, I love the smell/texture/taste.  I love reading recipes, planning meals and I like shopping for food. Therein lies the problem, I think.  The drinks are boring.  I'm going to have to actually put some study into making delicious and varied green drinks.

Okay, now I have a plan.

Juice Fast - Day 5

Another day of waking up and feeling good.  Even if nothing else occurs because of this fast, the waking up and feeling good part is worth all the food obsessing.  I'm hoping that soon I'll wake up feeling energized, too.

I'm still having insomnia difficulties, though. I tossed and turned last night and finally got up to lie on the couch with my legs propped up. I think the long walk yesterday may have had something to do with it.  On the other hand, neither my legs nor feet hurt this morning AND I feel good.  Good, good, good.

BREAKFAST
1 orange, 1 yellow delicious apple, 1 mango, 7 mountain apples, 1 banana, 1 handful of frozen cranberries, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, several heavy shakes cinnamon.  This smoothie was pretty pink and delicious.  Butterfly even helped herself to a large glass while saying, "Mom, I think you finally got the hang of it."  After drinking two glasses she graciously added, "You can have the rest."

The family has eaten most of the leftovers, so today I'll make Chinese Meat and Vegetable Buns for them. Braised bok choy and fried rice will be the rest of the meal.

LUNCH
3 small carrots, 3 pieces of broccoli, 1 stalk celery, 1 yellow delicious apple, 1 knob of ginger, 1 clove garlic, heavy sprinkling of pepper, multiple shakes of Tabasco sauce. I thought it was drinkable. Butterfly, on the other hand made a horrible face and said she was making saimin for lunch. I think the drink would have been better had I used kale instead of apple. The carrots were already sweet enough. Adding the apple made the drink overly sweet for the small amount of veggies and the garlic.  Next time.

I spent 3 hours in the kitchen making dinner for the family tonight.  It smelled wonderful.  I've gotta admit that I was feeling like a martyr as I watched the family eat and tell me it tasted great.  Since we had to go to the grocery store to buy food supplies for Butterfly's camping trip next week, I bought myself dinner; 2 small bottles of Odwalla Superfood.  It was very green and delicious.

Normally, spending several hours on my feet would make my feet and legs ache horribly.  Tonight they don't hurt at all.  I'm so jazzed.  Even though food still smells wonderful I most certainly am NOT giving up this fast until it's over, whether that's at day 10 or day 30 (I haven't decided yet). I'm feeling great!

Juice Fast - Day 4

Wow! I woke up feeling good today!  That hasn't happened in a long time! I've also lost another pound.  That makes 4 pounds in 4 days.  Pretty cool!

BREAKFAST
1 yellow delicious apple, 1 banana, 2 mangoes, 5 mountain apples, 1/2 orange, 1 small handful alfalfa sprouts, a heavy shake of cinnamon, a small shake of nutmeg, a dash of cloves.  Pretty tasty.  The sprouts are an assertive presence.  Perhaps tomorrow I'm make a fruit-only drink for breakfast so I can really taste the fruit.

I just read an article in Science Daily about ursolic acid in apple peels protecting against obesity.  It appears to increase muscle mass and strength and increase brown fat cells so that more calories are burned.  The article also states that the apple peel's ursolic acid "reduced obesity, pre-diabetes and fatty liver disease". Of course, this study was done on mice but it gives me another good reason to include apples in our diets even though most are imported from the mainland.  On the other hand, the Environmental Working Group also names apples as the most pesticide-laden produce item in the grocery. Looks like only organic apples will be on my shopping list from now on.

LUNCH
After 3 glasses of breakfast I still had more shake (I didn't strain this morning's juice).  I've been craving fat so I dumped a handful of cashews into the blender with the leftover shake and reblended it.  Yummy and just what I wanted but it's incredibly filling.  It appears that nuts are legal additions in juice fasting as long as I don't go overboard.

Butterfly and I walked down into lower Wahiawa so she could get a TB test.  She wants to volunteer at the local hospital and the test is one of the requirements.  We walked a total of 6 miles; 3 down and 3 back. I'm pooped. It's now time to put my legs up for a while.  We get to repeat this process on Wednesday when the TB test spot needs to be read.

DINNER
Family is still consuming leftovers.  It's a good thing because I sure want to eat what they're eating...

Very funny!

I'm drinking: 2 tomatoes, 2 stalks kale, 2 carrots, 1/2 green pepper, 2 small pieces broccoli, 1 small wedge onion, 1 yellow delicious apple, 1 clove garlic, 1 chunk of ginger, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, a heavy sprinkle of cumin, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric, a heavy sprinkle of pepper, and quite a few shakes of Tabasco sauce.  Family deemed it "weird tasting".  I thought it quite good.  I drank 2 tablespoons of vinegar to top it all off.

The craving for chewable food isn't subsiding but maybe not all-consuming.  That's a good sign. I don't know that the craving will completely disappear but at least it isn't constant anymore.  I'm thinking the remaining days will continue to get better.

Juice Fast - Day 3

Nope.  Today is not better.

Last night hay fever hit hard.  I couldn't breathe through my nose until after 2:30.  Woke again having trouble breathing at 5:30. Today I'm tired, achy, head achy, and cranky. Blah.

BRUNCH

2 stalks kale, 2 mangoes, 1 orange, 1 banana, 1 handful parsley, 1 handful alfalfa sprouts, 1/2 tray of ice.
This is pretty yummy and refreshing. I'm hoping the parsley does good things for my acid reflux difficulties.

Speaking of acid reflux: I've been drinking 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar after dinner. The vinegar usually does away with the problem although it causes me to burp a lot.  Maybe it's the gas build up in my stomach that causes the acid to leak out into my esophagus.  Whatever the mechanism, it seems to help so I think I'll drink vinegar after every meal for a while to see if that makes any difference.

DINNER

Family gets more leftovers.  I'm not cooking again until they eat up what I've already made.
I drink: 1 chayote, 2 stalks kale, 1 small red chili pepper, 15 cherry tomatoes, 1/2 green pepper, 1 Braeburn apple, 1 beet, 1 small handful parsley, small handful of basil, 2 handfuls of frozen cranberries. There is certainly no scientific method being used here.  I'm just putting what sounds like it might be tasty into the blender. This particular blend turned out a beautiful red and is very spicy.  I like spicy.  Family members deem it too hot for them. Vinegar is going to have to be the digestif for this meal!

I went for a bike ride earlier today.  I stopped to look at something and just fell over.  I lost some skin and gained some bruises but the worst part was the frustration I felt at not being in control of my body.  Over the years I've gone from a svelte, active, healthy woman to an overweight, pain-ridden older woman with bad knees. Those same knees are the reason I stopped running, biking, and hiking. I'm hoping that this juice fast will supply my body with the nutrients it needs so I can become svelte, active, and healthy again. Maybe that's asking for too much but wish me luck anyway.

Cheers!

Juice Fast - Day 2

Last night was rough.  I had trouble sleeping because my legs and feet hurt so much. I think the herbs and spices that I added to last night's "dinner" gave me acid reflux.  Maybe that's why the other juice fasting recipes don't include them?

(Side Note About Acid Reflux: Every time I make Indian food for dinner I've had no acid reflux at all.  There's something about the combination of the spices that seems to aid in digestion.  I'm studying this and will later write about my findings.)

In spite of that, today I feel pretty energetic.

BREAKFAST
3 carrots, 1 stalk kale, 1 chayote, 1 pear, 1 apple, a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon
This looked like ditch water but tasted really good! Even Butterfly said it tasted drinkable. Amazing.

I've lost 3 pounds since yesterday. The amount of fruits and vegetables that I'm ingesting look like a mountain of food but is probably much lower in calories than the meals and snacks (cookies, brownies, cakes, fruit breads, etc.) that I typically eat (I don't eat snacks all the time. Really.)  I make almost all of our food from scratch but the calories still add up.  Our meals are going to have to become healthier for us to all benefit from this experiment of mine.

Today we're going into Chinatown to get fresh mangoes, bok choy, and bananas.  I love Chinatown.  I love the fresh produce, the crowds of local shoppers, the unfamiliar foods, and the challenge of leaving knowing more than I did when arriving. I'm looking forward to adding mangoes to my juices!

I'm still obsessing about food.  Maybe that's a good thing.  As I pay more attention to what the rest of the family is eating while I drink my juice, I realize that we are NOT getting enough fruits and vegetables. The USDA guidelines have changed to include 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day and I (like most Americans) have not bothered to change our eating habits to get healthier.  I think that cooking from scratch is a good start in having a healthier diet. After all, I know there are no additives or preservatives in most of what we are eating (gotta rethink the bacon thing) and I try to be very conscious of GMO foods (vegetable oil is a problem) but now I need to consciously add the fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods to our diet, too.

Juice Fast Recipes was kind enough to remind me to drink enough water while I'm fasting. So now I'm adding a glass of water for every glass of juice I drink. That will give me about 8 glasses of water, I think.

LUNCH
We were in Chinatown and I wasn't hungry, so I just drank water.

Chinatown was cool.  We brought back baby bok choy, bananas, mangoes, parsley, and beautiful bunches of kale. We saw the most beautiful and unusual greens while there; pepper plant greens, edible chrysanthemums, and  bean shoots (not sprouts). We'll go back later to pick some of those up to use in stir fries and chicken stew.  We also saw piles of banana flower buds.  I'm going to find out how to cook that so I can bring it home on the next trip into town.

DINNER
Family is eating leftovers: Indian eggplants and tomatoes, refried beans, rice, kalua pig, and broccoli salad
I'm drinking: 1 stalk kale, 1 baby bok choy, a handful of parsley, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, 1 mango, 1 banana, 1 Granny Smith apple, and a liberal shaking of cinnamon. I can't really taste the mango (so sad) and the banana is a strong flavor.  It's not bad.  If I'm still hungry later I'm going to juice 1 mango all by itself.

I'm beginning to get a headache.  I'm not sure if that's some detox going on or the result of hiking all over Chinatown and up in the Manoa hills near Lyon Arboritum. I'm also hungry for chewable food.  I'm not stomach hungry, I'm head hungry.  My tummy says it's plenty satisfied but my mind is playing nasty tricks on me saying, "I want sugar, I want rice, I want kalua pig, I want broccoli salad, I want to chew something!"

Tomorrow WILL be better. Right?

Juice Fast - Day 1

Well, here we go; Day One of the ten day juice fast trial...

We went grocery shopping last night.  I got the regular monthly supplies for the family and then loaded up with veggies and fruit for my juicing.  Kale, celery, carrots, sweet peppers, green/yellow/red apples, oranges and a couple of pears made up my initial juice supplies (the veggies constitute regular family foods, too).  I'll also use garden veggies and fruit: sweet potato greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, chayote, green beans, hot peppers, mint, basil, thyme, marjoram, mountain apples, and (soon, I hope) passion fruit. I really wish the papayas were going to be ready to use but they won't be ripe for another couple of months.  The banana trees haven't put out fruit stalks yet and the mango tree won't produce for another two years...

As I shopped I found my mind wandering into weird little loops: "I'm not going to be able to drink Pepsi, or eat chocolate for the next ten days!", "How in the world will I be able to make dinner for the family and  restrict myself to just juice?"  For goodness sakes, I hadn't even begun the fast and I was craving chocolate and soda and REAL food ahead of time!  How was I going to manage ten days?

So exactly WHY am I doing this?  Health problems that have crept up and worsened over the last year include peripheral neuropathy in feet and hands; extreme fatigue; foot and leg pain that make walking difficult;  severe acid reflux (from the hiatial hernia I acquired during pregnancy in the far distant past); and insomnia resulting from the foot/leg pain, acid reflux, and menopause-related hot flashes.  Walking and bike riding worsened the foot/leg pain and increased the fatigue which upped the depression.

After seeing a raft of doctors and undergoing lots of test the results came back - blood pressure normal (actually, it's good-low), blood sugar normal, thyroid normal, vitamin levels normal, heart is fine (right bundle branch blockage is normal for a lot of people), peripheral neuropathy is only slight.  The doctors don't know why I'm experiencing difficulties but there doesn't appear to be anything physically wrong with me. I LOVE left feeling like my problems are all in my head .

SO

I have to figure this out myself.  Which has led to this juice fast.  Perhaps if I supercharge my body with nutrients I'll get better, right?  Home lab Experimental Guinea Pig is my new official title.

BREAKFAST
This morning I made bacon and eggs for the family (umm, I love the smell of bacon!)  I had two kale leaves, one yellow delicious apple, two carrots, five mountain apples, a large sprinkle of cinnamon, and a smaller sprinkle of nutmeg blended with tap water and strained through a sieve.  It looked awful - bluck greenish-brown.  On the other hand, it tasted fine.

I haven't seen herbs or spices added to other on-line juice fast recipes so I'm not sure if adding them is "legal". Oh well, this is my juice fast and it has to taste good for me to stick to it.

LUNCH
I had juice of 1 orange, 1 pear, 1 stalk celery, 2 carrots, 1 stalk kale, and 1 chayote. No herbs or spices.

I am thinking about food constantly.  To make matters worse, I've made kalua pig for the family for dinner.  Kalua pig is one of my very favorite foods... I'm also making Sourdough Pigs in Blankets to stick in the freezer for the family's lunches.  AND I'm making pumpkin bread for now and the freezer. This is probably not a great idea for day 1 of my juice fast, but perhaps I need to tame my dragon's right at the start. My head keeps saying "I want sugar NOW!"

DINNER
Family eats kalua pig, rice, broccoli salad, green beans.

I drink 2 carrots, 2 stalks kale, 1 tomato, 1 stalk celery, 1 Braeburn apple, 1/2 green pepper, 1 small wedge of onion, 1 clove garlic, 1" piece of ginger, 1 small handful of basil/marjoram/thyme, a liberal sprinkling of Tabasco sauce and pepper. This actually tasted like "food"; it was delicious! It seems like an awful lot of vegetables and fruit to put in one body though...

I'm full but craving.  Tomorrow will be better, won't it?

Starting Over - Again

The past eight months have been tough ones for me.  Lack of livable income resulting in depression-turning-into-health-problems have made the months very long ones. I've learned some very interesting things while being among the working poor: The more poverty income you make (income that's still not enough to pay the minimum bills of rent, utilities and food) the worse off you are.

Case in point:  I injured my back while working at McDonalds. I have never been in that kind of pain before.  It hurt to move, it hurt to sit or lie down (forget about getting back up again); at times it hurt to breathe.  Workman's Compensation paid for the doctor visits and physical therapy but I was only able to work a minimal number of days during the month I was recuperating. No substitute teaching, no McDonalds. That translates to no income.  I WAS able to qualify for food stamps and FINALLY I was able to qualify for state medical insurance.

By the way, after being released from doctor's care I quit my job at McDonalds for fear of re-injuring my back from the lifting I was required to do. Even though I keep applying for work that fits in with my education and prior training I STILL can't seem to get employed.

So then it became time to question my priorities.  Do I get another low-paying job and lose the medical insurance that was allowing me to address my health problems AND get less money in food stamps OR do I wait until school starts when I'll start substitute teaching again?

This is such a moral dilemma. Do I rely on governmental help when I feel like I should be able to provide for myself and my daughter (but haven't succeeded in that endeavor yet) or do I go ahead and take the help while telling myself that this is only a temporary situation? Both solutions seem like defeat.  The deciding factor was the medical insurance.  Right now I have to have medical insurance until I either get healthy again or get a job that pays enough so I can afford medical insurance through them.

In the meantime, I've watched the movie "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and have decided to use their method of juice fasting to try to get my body healthier.  I don't have a juicer but I DO have an old Vita-Mix blender and a strainer. So, the next 10 days will be a log of this health experiment. I start tomorrow morning.

Wish me lots of willpower!