Boo-sicle, Explained

1. Frozen Boo Bella = "a juice flavored girl-human with cream-colored skin not on a stick."

   
   

   I'm on day 5 of my juicing Reboot and am still cold.  But I'm hanging in there and doing okay.  I can feel the hunger creeping in, but so far I can handle it just fine.  As for the cold, that's a little tougher for me to deal with right now.

   
   

   Seems as the day wears on, the colder I get, so I have to be a little creative with the balancing act between turning the thermostat a degree higher, curling up under the blanket further, and trying not to cringe every time I need to get up to use the bathroom (which is a lot now that I'm doing this whole juicing thing).

   
   

   I think it's time to break out a thicker blanket, because spontaneously generating internal heat isn't one of my spidey powers.

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   Feeling cold doesn't really have any benefits that I can see, but at least I can rationalize that it's a direct effect of calorie restriction.  Okay.  I can certainly live with that.  Now don't get me wrong, the restriction is limited only so far, because the amount of produce it takes to yield what I will drink in a day to sustain myself is mind-blowing, to say the least.  So no worries.  I'm not, and will not be, starving myself at any point.

   
   

   The moody blues kind of sucks ass, however.  Sorry for the gritty language, but it's true.  I know this 'blah' feeling is temporary and normal as my body adjusts and purges and detoxifies and so on, but it sucks just the same.  Getting into this poor state of health didn't happen overnight, and it's not going to be undone overnight either, so I simply have to suck it up and ride it out.  This is the price for imbibing in foods that were beaten to death and stripped of their real value until they were no longer, well, food.  My bad!

   
   

   Blah.
   
   
   

   

   House business:  Things are coming along, moving along, etc.  Mortgage business is tedious business, but we're ready for it to be done already. Closing is set to be on or around January 27th, so it's not too far away.  Just dotting i's and crossing t's now, and a lot of faxing back and forth.  One last bit of paperwork and we think that's it, then we wait for the clock to tick its way till closing.  Well, there's also the inspection this weekend.  So much to do.
   
   The photo shows the view from the back deck, and it makes the house look far more secluded than it actually is.  The slight slope you see is an actual slope just beyond and part of the professionally landscaped yard.  But then there's a SHARP drop just after that...that you do NOT want to step off of, trust me. lol  When you're standing there you can tell exactly where you can and cannot walk, much like a house on a cliff ... you know where not to walk. ;)  But this house is actually just a couple of miles from a main highway, and at the end of the street (dead ends on the other side) there is a main road that leads to that highway that runs from Wetumpka to Montgomery (AL) etc.
   
   The drive is private with only a few houses, so it's not busy or overgrown, and it's very 'woodsy,' which is quite nice.  I love the quiet, peaceful feel.  Hopefully it's as quiet and peaceful as it seems.  We are looking forward to being out of Montgomery.  It's just too busy there.
   
   Well, I'm feeling cold and a little worn, so I'm signing off to drink my afternoon juice and crawl under a blanket in hopes to shake this chill!
   
   Till next time!

   
   

Cold

I'm freezing today.  Simply freezing.  I don't think it has anything to do with the juicing I'm doing, because I tend to exist on the cold side anyway.  But I am extremely cold today and want to simply stand under a hot shower.. all... day... long.

I think it's safe to say that it's just one of those days and I'm really just thinking about taking that hot shower and crawling under a blanket and staring at the tv.  It really is that kind of a day.

Truly, on second thought.. maybe this is part of the detox process... am feeling a bit weird. Not bad, mind you.  Just weird.  Guess it's time to just go with it and pamper myself with warmth and aromatherapy.....

Come on Spring/Summer.  Freezing, here.  :/

Never underestimate the power of a red balloon

I'm not a difficult person to please.  In fact, I'm rather easy to please.  If anyone complains that I am hard to please, then they have no idea who I am, and they have no clue at all what makes me tick.

It's been my experience that most people love to think they they have everything all figured out..  not just themselves, but others, too.  Doesn't make them bad people.  Not at all.  It just makes my being with someone like that a little lonelier is all.

Red balloons.  I've loved them since I was a little girl.  No explanation required.  It's something that simply just is.  It's something that is authentically me.  I don't feel the need to explain it to anyone, but I do give it an honest try if a curious soul asks.  It's not as if it's some deep, dark secret I'm keeping.

My love for red balloons, especially a single, helium-filled red balloon... is just a 'happy' that is a part of me.

Why helium-filled?  It doesn't have to be, but I do prefer a happy balloon.  The ones simply filled with air seem a little sad. lol  I can't help but want to tie one of the air-filled balloons to a couple of helium-filled balloons so it can fly too. ;p  Yeah.  I'm a little weird.  But then, there is this odd little child-like part of me that loves to write, and think, and dream... and I really don't see the world the way others do.  Most of the time I keep my view of the world and life to myself, simply because... few actually get it.  No matter.  If I run across even one person who does, well, it's nothing short of amazing.  And that's okay with me.  :)

....

Oh... did I mention we're moving out of the city? (I think I did.. so many blogs, hard to tell lol).  but... Yeah, this is a long-awaited move.  Okay, so to be honest.. not as long as I thought it would be, but it did feel like forever.  It took experience to convince T that our busy neighborhood would get old in short order, but he's come around and realizes that now is the time to make a move.

This move is for the soul, the spirit.  Still, the exact location we ended up with is... odd in a way.  Oh well.  Doesn't matter.  You can't beat the view.  More on that later...

Noodles!

Seriously?

Everyone dreams.  Okaaaay, so that was a idiotic lead-in, but I keep telling myself the obvious (that being one of them), that my dreams don't always have to mean something.  Yet, there have been times when certain people show up in them without warning and I think...wth?!  Still.  It doesn't really mean anything.  Right?

I do know that dreams are often our subconscious working out issues that we can't, don't, or won't face during the day.. or at all.  All the unresolved crapinski that rattles around inside, for whatever reason, has to be dealt with at some point, I know.  I get it.  But what if we think we've done that, you know, dealt with it already?

What if I thought I dealt with it already?  And if I haven't, then what?  Now what?

Nothing.  That's all.  Nothing.

But damn those stupid dreams anyway.  I mean, I hate waking up feeling weird and wondering about all the odd little details inside said dream....

Now that we've gotten THAT out of the way, maybe I'll have something substantial and actually of interest to say later on....

The Biggest Wish

Sometimes it's more than one, these wishes.  Well, to be honest, I guess they almost always are.  Wishes.  Dreams.  Goals.  They're ALL born of the same stuff, so don't let anyone tell you any different.

Food for dreams... wishes.  Fuel for your goals... dreams.  Seriously, if you lose any one of these vital components you're going to be floundering and wondering what the hell happened and why things simply aren't going as you planned.

Plans.  Those are just outlines drawn somewhere and not unlike a recipe you 'sort of' stick to.  Hell, recipes are mostly improved upon by intuition or... more often, by mistakes.  Just go with it!

Oh, and then there are the little (or big) imperfections when the good stuff is realized.  Hey wait a minute! What do you mean IMPERFECTIONS??  Well...I mean exactly what I said.  If you want something badly enough and get it, don't sweat the small stuff when it falls in your lap!  How hard is that to figure out?  Seriously.

Actually, that's what I've had to tell my self a few times.  ;)  Trust me. I'm pretty damn good at taking my own advice.  Not always great at following my own advice.  But that's another story.

So one of the things that's been in the works is moving out of the city.  Well, THIS city.  Too noisy, etc., and I've needed something far more peaceful and serene (much like my old neighborhood in Mobile.  Finally a place was found...a place we feel is perfect for us.  Notice the wording.  Nothing is perfect, folks, and life will always be a work in progress.  Because.. it.  Is. LIFE.  :)

As the wheeling and dealing was done, today was the day of a final agreement, all contingent on the home inspection.  Once that is done, then we wait till closing.. on our around February 17th.

Another happy event revealed itself when I found out the good news about the house, which was super nice.  I needed a good day, as things have been a big hectic.

The biggest wish...  What is it?  Hmmmm.  I have to admit I'm not exactly ready to reveal it to the world, or entirely sure I'm ready to talk about it.  It may be a bit too much at the moment.  Let's just suffice it to say that my life is... complex at the the moment, and I've not quite put everything into proper perspective yet.  Once I feel compelled and comfortable enough to start talking about it here... I'm sure it will be a whole flood of TMI.  ;) lol

Till next time.... noodles!  ..silly autocorrect.  I think I'll just leave it. ;p

Boo's Juicy Bits Part 2

So..  it's been fun so far posting in the Juicy section of my private (or not so private) place on the web.  Well.. okay, it really is sort of private because only a small handful of people I know actually know about it, and the rest are most likely folks who've stumbled upon this quirky garden.  But not everything is about juicing.  I still have things to say outside of that realm...  Now, WHERE I end up talking about whatever-it-is will depend on just how far outside that realm it is.  Wow.  I'm not even sure that made any sense to me. lol

At the moment I'm a bit tired.  This isn't all that surprising as I've learned that a couple of the items I've been drinking (since I've had to delay my juicing start date) aren't gluten-free.  Last night a nasty wave of fatigue washed over me and here I am feeling under the weather.  It will clear itself out of my system and I'll be okay.  Just have to be kind to my body in the meantime and hang on.  :)

And ... there are a few things in the works right now that I've not gone into, but for every good reason.  In good time, friends, in good time.  Need to rest a bit now... but I will fill you in soon, because this change is a rather big one.

Till then... time for some lunch, a warm blanket (feeling very cold today), and some much-needed chill time.

Boo's Juicy Bits. WHAT???!!

Another blog?  Why not?  Well, the other ones are almost like mirror images of one another because I can't get a couple of folks to let me give one or the other of them up.  I can't figure out why, but I guess they're partial to one or the other.  They were initially created for separate things, but it became a real pain to keep up with, so... I was going to get rid of one and condense it all down into one manageable blog.  Didn't work out that way.

Then I opened a Live Journal account thinking I could put it all THERE.  Hated it.  Don't post there anymore.  And again.... same stuff, different place.  SUCH a waste of time.

But I need a place to talk about juicing and getting healthy, because juicing (just juicing) for 30-60 days straight is a big deal, and I need to talk about it. WANT to talk about it.  And I want to share my journey in case it may help others.

But it won't be just about juicing.

Mostly.

And it will be within context.

And it could get graphic in all sorts of ways.

For the record..I fully intend to have a great deal of fun with it.

There could be all sorts of naughty business going on over there.

The end.

Or not.  haha!

Let's just say... my motto over there is "All we've ever wanted is to look good naked."  And yes, that is a borrowed line from Robbie Williams.  Love that guy. lol

So...  here you go....

http://boosjuicybits.blogspot.com

Getting ready

After a few trial runs with the juicer we've found there's still little tidbits to learn about juicing.  It's really been a fun experience, even when tutorials and opinions often conflict.  Core the apple, cut the apple, feed the apple into the juicer whole (as long as it fits, of course).  Learn as you go, but don't hurt your juicer.  :)

Space is another issue.  If you have very long countertops, or a big island to work on, your good.  If not, then you may find yourself transporting things from one place to another.  Either way, it's something you'll learn as you go, depending on WHY you're juicing.  I'm juicing "big," which means I need a  lot of counter space and room to work, so I made the decision today to clear off a counter that was primarily used as my own little 'bistro' bar.  Well, I gave up coffee and caffein a couple of months ago, though I do use my Keurig for other things, so why not turn it into something completely healthy? Wala!  A juice bar!  :D

I have everything I need in one place, though I do have to wash and vinegar rinse my fruits and veggies elsewhere (of course). But the coconut oil I will add to one juice per day is in the cabinet above, as is the BHA-free plastic 'snuggies/grips' and matching screw-on caps for the glass juice bottles.  Trust me, don't store your beautifully healthy juices in plastic, even if they are BHA-free.  That one, you'll need to do the research on yourself.  I only have so much free time. ;)

Update:  Sleep.  Well, due to circumstances beyond my control, I didn't get much sleep night before last.  However, last night was a total success.  I'm using a device to monitor the quality of my sleep called a S+ by ResMed (sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond).  It's made by the folks who make CPAP machines.  Anyway, it monitors and helps you improve your sleep (in a nutshell).  My score has been as low as 45 (horrible!!), but hovers around 60s to 80s, which is still not good at all.  But since I've been doing this slow Transition.... it's been improving!!  AND.. last night, for the first time EVER.. I got a score of 97.  Ninety-seven!!!  You have NO idea how huge this is!

Overall, even without actually starting the official Reboot yet.. I've noticed BIG changes in appetite, overall feeling of well-being, appetite, and now... sleep!

Awesome.  ;)

Mean Green!

Well, the juicer was finally fired up, and it was a complete success!  We used Joe's "Mean Green" recipe, and while it was a bit tangy (T decided to double the lemon and ginger... ack!!), it wasn't at all bad.  I really had lower expectations based on reviews. ;p

I've been cleaning up my diet, as suggested for Rebooting, and I have to say it's exceeded my expectations so far.  While eating is a bit more limited, I've not gone hungry at all.  I've snacked on mixed nuts (sans peanuts, and not due to allergy, but for health), and.. I've lost weight!  So far I've lost about 4 lbs in about a week.  Not bad for not trying [to lose]. ;)

As for side effects, well.. it was worse at first, but it's leveling out now and getting better all the time.  This, however, will most likely change when I go to an all-liquid diet, though.  It's supposed to happen that way.   I mean, the body has to get used to the adjustment, and it IS a HUGE adjustment!  Let's give ourselves a break and allow nature to do what it has to do.  Know what I mean, Vern?  Trust me, I'm sparing you the gory details for now.  Later entries I will most likely get to the point, because this is not just about my journey, but also to help anyone else who's embarking on this path as well.  Might as well be as blunt as possible.  Onward!

Other things I've noticed "pre-anything" is: increased alertness, a little more energy (yay!), and an overall feeling of lightness.  Also, digestive upsets (heartburn, etc.) are pretty much gone for the most part.  And those weird headaches I was getting for a while there... gone.  :-O  Yeah.. beyond cool!

Hunger changes from day to day, mood to mood.  Pretty much normal, really.  In fact, after T and I consumed the Mean Green last night, neither of us were hungry!  We were going to make dinner after the juice, but.. we didn't feel the need to.  Pretty cool, huh?  Go figure. :)

It's interesting that I've just been cleaning up my diet and doing a lose version of the Transition phase to prepare myself  for what's ahead (as suggested in Joe's book), and.. I've already reaped a ton of benefits!

Day one, when will it actually begin?  Well, my dentist appointment is the 19th instead of the 15th (tomorrow) like I initially thought, so it looks like I will be pushing the official day one off a couple more days.  But I refuse to let that get me down!  Why would that get me down?  I'm already losing weight and feeling better, so why feel bad, right?

The official first day of my Reboot will be January 20th, 2015

Sh*t happens, but that's my plan, man. ;)  And I'm really excited!

What?

When one is deeply committed to more important matters, one does not have time for superfluous tasks such as fluffing one's feathers.

The Transition

It's been 'not easy' and 'not hard.'  How's that for a non-committal answer? ha!  No, seriously.  It's been okay.  Really what I'm saying is.. "It is what it is." Honestly, there are easier things than giving up meat, dairy, sugar, 'most' salt, breads, pastas, refined starches, and fried foods. lol  Yeah... a little humor.  But, I'm by NO means cutting calories and have already lost 2 lbs in about 4 days.  It's all good, right?

Side effects.  Oh yeah.  They're already hitting me pretty good, and I've not EVEN begun the juice-only part of the Reboot!  Holy moly, but I will be staying close to home.  At least at first. lol  I already feel like I'm prepping for a colon cleanse.  Hey, can't stand the details?  Then it's high time you find other reading materials, hon, because this is only the beginning.  I'm going to journal my way through this to help others who are thinking of, or are already finding their way through a Reboot.

...this blog... may not be for little girls or sissies. ;)

My appetite wavers between hungry, and... not.  Really don't understand the why of this yet.  But who cares at this point?  Again, it is what it is.  One day at a time, that (from what I hear) could quickly change to one hour at a time.  All I have is now, that that is what IS now.  ;p  Hey, no one said I was going to be poetic every day now.

Groceries:  Well, the transition period hasn't really been TOO bad, and omitting certain things from the diet have made way for the ton of veggies and fruit (mostly veggies.. 80/20) I will be buying and consuming.  I mean, 30-carrots, 20-something apples, bushels of Kale, lettuce, bags of cucumbers, coconut water bought in bulk, and so on... every 5 days or so... yeah, well, it's worth it.  I'm worth it.  And wether you know it or not, YOU are worth it.  Expensive, yes.  But so is buying junk, eating at restaurants, buying Starbuck's, snacks, going to movie theaters... I mean, there is so much you have to give up, and things you CAN give up (movie theaters are a luxury you can do without short-term, right?).  And trust me, I've wanted to do this since 2010 and couldn't until now, so I get that not everyone can at the moment, or maybe not exactly like this.  But... Joe Cross's site has suggestions on how to do this another way, on a budget.  The idea is to get more micronutrients etc in your diet.  But... enough of that, because, that's research you need to do to find out what's right for you, personally.  My goal here is just to document my journey as I go, peppered by other real life junk and stuff.  That's all.

So no one freaks out and thinks I'm going to starve myself, hear this:  If you're doing the reboot correctly, you won't starve.  If you're doing a Reboot beyond 15 days, consult your doctor, AND.. add 1 tsp of pure, virgin coconut oil (great stuff, btw.. used to use it all the time many years ago) daily, and a scoop of vegetable protein powered daily.  You can see in the pic I posted above the protein powder and coconut oil.  Don't want to use coconut oil?  Then use extra virgin olive oil. I prefer coconut oil for the health benefits and the taste.

Anyway, read up, research.  I'm not going to starve. lol

Ready, set... keep transitioning!  What?  It's not time to Reboot yet!  Patience!  ;)

It's been a while. Hasn't it?

Hope the dust and tumbleweeds didn't muss up your boots too much.  There's something to be said about wearing shades when things get that quiet, because you never know when a windstorm might come along and stir things up.  That's okay.  You had better things to do, right?

Of course you did.

I'm sure things sound different, feel different.  They sure do from where I'm sitting.  And if they don't, they certainly will very soon.  Contemplation comes with a bit of quiet.  I mean, it's the only way to get your Rice Crispies to really talk. ;p

So anyway, I'm done.  No, not giving up or giving in.  Just done.   Done isn't bad.  It's a starting point.  At least it is for me.  It means I've found something, that's all.  It means I have a place to start, and that there is a transition happening.  About my health and my life.  It's always been about that!  Don't look so damned surprised.  Or NOT surprised.

Quit it.  Seriously.  Just listen for minute.

I have a long road ahead of me, and that could mine a second, a minute, a year... or 10 years.  Could mean another 30 or 40 years.  A road is a road.  Geez.  When was the last time I drove and encountered a highway or interstate with a barrier at some point that said "The end of the road"?  Yeah.  Okay.  So now that we've cleared that up....

This is MY continuing on "A road."  Symantics---let's not get into those, okay?  You're smart.  You've got this!  So keep up.  If you're going to ride shotgun, grab the "oh shit!" bar or strap on and raise both hands out of the sunroof!  Just pick one!

You've seen me post about health issues.  You know what I've been though.  Some know I've been dealing with things my whole life.  Sometimes.. without the benefit of health insurance.  With the addition of BC/BC in early 2014 I had quite a journey, learned a lot, took a crap-load of medications, some that did good, most that just added to the problems.  Note: don't take prednisone unless you are given NO other alternative!  Anyway, with or without insurance, your doctor is only going to do so much.  They're relatively lazy, most of them, and they tend to need a cattle prod to keep moving forward.  Get past one test.. oh that's not it? Okay.  See ya!  And it's up to you to keep the ball rolling.  It's like playing tennis with someone using ONE racket, and the other player is too damn lazy to come get the racket when it's their turn.

Anyway, in 2010 (I believe it was) I watched a documentary called "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead."  I was awed.  And I wanted to do what Joe Cross did!  What so many have done because of that documentary.  But, it's expensive and was out of my budget then.  Way out.  And it continued to be out for some time.  Fast forward... I tried to eat healthy when I could, but.. circumstances lead me to the ramen noodle diet, the nearly starving and supplementing starving with ramen noodle diet... and so on.  I became sicker.  I gained weight.  And it just kept getting worse.  Over time.. it was like someone flipped a switch inside... then broke it off.

No matter what I did, how I tried, what was done, what doctors I saw... I couldn't get healthy.  So now, I'm going to take it ALL into MY hands and put a royal hurt on this sick thing!  Watch me!

I'll get healthy or die trying!