Guess what! I ended my Juice Feast yesterday, after 80 days! It’s all over, folks!

I’d been struggling for a while and after listening to Michelle’s audio about self-sabotage on Saturday night, I had a lot to think about. While there were only twelve days left to the “official” finish line, I was not enjoying juice feasting anymore and I believe that once I’d reached that point, there was no benefit in continuing. Life is about living and we need to do it joyfully. Juice feasting is not a punishment, but if you’re doing it because you “have to”, then you’re (a) not listening to your own body, (b) missing your joy and (c) standing in the way of your own progress.

So, by the time I got up yesterday morning I had made my decision. Of course, one doesn’t just stop drinking juice and dig into a plate of food. The feast breaking is an important step and, since my digestive system has been doing other things for 80 days, foods need to introduced slowly and wisely.

So, off to the grocery store we went for some prunes (dried plums). I let them soak in water all day and in the early evening I drank the soak water and bit into my first solid food. It was… nice. I’ve been drinking juice today and will have some more prunes tonight. Tomorrow I get to eat fruit (yay!) and I’m definitely going to have a green smoothie! By Wednesday I’ll be having salad!

The only thing I’m sorry about is that I didn’t take pictures yesterday. We were out on my folks’ farm and I wore the same clothes that I wore in my fat photo’s, so the comparison would have been meaningful. Not that I’m that much thinner. I weighed in this morning - my official post juice feast weigh in:

Starting weight: 157 kg (345.4 pounds)
Current weight: 136.1 kg (299.4 pounds)
Loss: 20.9 kg (46 pounds)

That means that I have left the 300’s behind! That is awesome! I can’t begin to describe how pleased I am about that!

My sister said yesterday that I looked “fabulous”. I feel fabulous, even though I don’t think the weight loss is that apparent. I’m still wearing the same clothes, although they’re much looser. There is still a lot of work to be done, but it was an amazing kickstart and my body is clean and mostly free of toxins. I will be posting extensively about my post-juice feast diet in the weeks to come and believe me, I’m not about to start piling in the toxins again!

Very high on my agenda is physical exercise. I appropriated my sister’s pedometer yesterday, figuring it’s not helping her if it’s lying in a drawer. This morning I walked to the grocery store, which earned me about 5000 steps. I realize that I’m going to have to do better than that, but my legs are quite stiff, since I’ve been sitting on my butt for two months, so I’ll take it slowly. Michelle has challenged me to go back to gym and I’ve committed to going from Wednesday. Hello aqua aerobics and pilates! I also have a free assessment available to me and am going to ask for a weight training program. In due time I’ll be getting on the treadmill as well to ensure 10000 steps daily (since my grocery runs may not take place on foot once the winter rains start coming down). So, I see less computer time and more gym time in my future.

I will continue brushing my body and taking contrast showers regularly, as well as doing the odd enema.

Which reminds me… If you’re wondering how my body coped with the solids, rest assured. My digestive system is working like a newly serviced car and I had a very satisfying bowel movement this morning. That concludes the poop report!

I am happy, proud of my accomplishment and pleased with how well my body responded. Juice Feasting has been amazing. I have learned so much about myself and my body. I am so grateful to David and Katrina Rainoshek, the King and Queen of Juice Feasting, for their vast knowledge and experience. I couldn’t have done this without my fellow juice feasters Ben, Lisa and Penni who were always ready with a word of encouragement and a shared experience. Finally, my wonderful friend Michelle, who has been an amazing inspiration through all of this. And without collusion, totally independantly from one another, but obviously connected through the cosmos, we chose to end our juice feasts on the same day! Happy eating, Michelle!

In the days to come, I will share some of the lessons I’ve learned over these 80 days and how I believe Juice Feasting has changed me. I think I’ve been Around The Universe In 80 Days! And you know what? I like that it’s a round number. If you recall, on Day 40 I wrote about the significance of the number 40. It’s the Biblical number of trial and testing. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. Jesus was tempted by Satan for 40 days. In Noah’s time it rained 40 days and 40 nights. Two times 40 to me signifies twice the trial and testing and I am well pleased with how I’ve completed this task.

Thank you, everybody, or your support and for cheering me on!

The journey continues…

 We were warned earlier in the week that winter in Cape Town would start today.  Well, it looks as if they were right.  It’s been raining since last night and it’s definitely cooler.  I don’t know if I’d call it cold yet, but I may put something long sleeved on when I go out.  This weather is just right for some soup though, so this is what Craig will be getting for supper tonight, after having something raw of course!

Quick Mushroom Soup

1 leek

1 ripe tomato

1-2 medium potatoes

1-2 turnips

1-2 carrots

1 tbs fresh chopped parsley

2 packets mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh oregano)

2-4 tsp vegetable stock powder

pinch of nutmeg

Dice the vegetables and place in a large pot with 2 liters (quarts) water.  Add the stock, herbs, salt and nutmeg, bring to boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.

Blend until smooth or serve as a chunky soup if you prefer.  Garnish with parsley and serve.

Hi, my name is Hanlie and I’m a kleptomaniac. I have already filched once this week (the Postcard Swap - please sign up by Sunday - the more the merrier!) and I’m about to do it again! Maybe even twice today. I just can’t help myself.

I’ve been salivating over this post all week. Pattie listed her Five Handsomest Male Celebrities last week! Never one to leave a hunk unsung, I just had to filch this one.

Here they are (ironically enough three of hers also made my list, which means that we both have excellent taste):

1. Joaquin Phoenix

2. Russel Crowe

3. George Clooney

4. Dermot Mulroney

5. Matthew McConaughey

I was going to tell you what it was about each of these five guys that make my hormones do the happy dance, but then I remembered that you’re not blind and this degree of hotness needs no explanation.

Of course there’s a B-team, whose members (no pun intended - settle people!) I wouldn’t kick out of my boudoir either… they include Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Jude Law, John Travolta and Christian Bale.

That’s all I have to say about that!

Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile…initially scared me to death. ~ Betty Bender

We can do anything we set our minds to. I have been Juice Feasting for 77 days. So many people have told me that they “could never do that”. You don’t know that! But if you tell yourself that, you make it your truth.

I am learning to believe that I can do anything. And I wouldn’t exchange this knowledge for anything in the world. If a fairy godmother were to visit me tonight and tell me that I can wake up at goal tomorrow, I’d have to decline. I don’t need fairy godmothers. I can and I want to do this myself! I want to change my life. I want to learn the lessons. I want to grow. I want to heal. I don’t care how long it takes. I don’t even care what the scale says. I know when I’m losing weight. I know that I’m getting fitter and stronger, because I challenge my body every day.

My primary goal is not weight loss.  My primary goal is to change my life to one of abundant health and vitality.  And fertility.  We want to grow our own organic food.  We want to do physical work.  These are not means to an end - they are the end.

Someone asked me whether, with that level of health, one would just die of natural causes.  Barring accidents, yes!  But I am less concerned about how I’m going to die and more concerned with the quality of my life.  I want to be robust and active, without degenerative diseases until the very end.   How many people over sixty do you know who have no medical conditions, not even high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol?  How many people in their 80’s and 90’s are still active and in possession of all their faculties?

I intend to be.  You can too!

Sue from eLuckypacket, an expat community blog for South Africans all over the world, had this excellent idea:

A POSTCARD SWAP

I loved the idea so much, that I’m filching it! And it’s not even Friday! I’m such a rebel!

Here’s how it works:

You let me know in the comments or via email (hanlie at fertilehealthy dot com) that you want to take part. Just give me a general idea of where you live - New York, Vermont, Denmark, Australia, etc.

I will then randomly select pairs of you to exchange postcards with one another. I will send the other person your email address and the two of you can then exchange postal addresses.

You then buy a postcard depicting your city or area and send it to the other person, while they send you one of their city or area (this is why I would like you to let me know where you’re situated so that you can get a postcard that is from a different country or part of your country - “random” being a flexible term, after all). My readers are quite diverse (Juice Feasters, Healthy You Challengers, friends, fertility buddies, etc.), so you may be exchanging postcards with someone you don’t know at all.

I would like each of us to write a inspirational quote, message or blessing on the back of the postcard. Something that will make the recipient feel special and blessed.

And when you get your postcard, you can post the picture and the message on your blog so that we can all see it. Only one person will have your details (real name and address), so your privacy will not be compromised.

How about it? It should be fun! Better than the the bills we normally get in the mail, don’t you think? And it won’t break the bank… 

Ps.  You don’t have to be a blogger, or a girl, to take part!