Life after juice!

As I had always said, I knew come Friday eve I would be eating again! I lasted till about 2pm on Friday with just juice, before the actual process of downing anymore juice was impossible.  I'd rather have nothing than anymore juice.  So i settled for half an egg mayo sandwich.  What!! I waited 40mins, besides it was free. No one turns down free food!  Friday night was done in style, especially when I arrived for dinner, having cycled there might I add, only to find my bezzie had whipped me up an early biffday cake...well it would be rude not to right!  Admittedly I didn't drink as much and found, despite my eyes wanting to eat everything put in front of me...my stomach was not on the same page. (this I believe is a good thing)

I continued to incorporate a juice in to my day over the weekend and replacing one of my meals with it.  So far this week I have juiced every morning.  However on days where I have done more in the gym, I will eat well to support that.  The selfie of truth is below!

Excuse my shocked appearance, I am most def not a selfie queen!  Skin is clearer (Tinted moisturiser and minimal blush only), energy is good, especially as  I am waking up before my alarm and sleeping through, my cravings have also definitely been reigned in!

All in all I guess juicing has its pro's and cons as all these fads do.  I'd advise giving a cleanse a go.  It is not a long term plan....so 4 days max, unless you have unbreakable will power!

Hope you have found this insightful, and even if you didn't I most certainly did!

Lx

Duracell Juice!

Finally!!

Yesterday afternoon I got a hit of energy.  It was at about 4pm, so i waited a while for it.  I had a rush of excitement when I had forgotten I hadn't had my afternoon juice and practically ran to get it.  I know I don't know what's worse the excitement over a juice, or the fact i ran for it.  In my defense it is all have had for 3 days.  I was alright actually, not hungry despite my stomach making some rather weird noises in the day, by the evening I think my body had accepted life on juice and I was glad because I was ready to give in that day.  However, I decided that maybe it was time to ween it into meals again,  I had in mind, come Friday night i was out for dinner, and well didn't want to completely shock my body, as food and wine would be being consumed.  So I saved my cashew shake for the following day and got on with another juicing storm, altering my green shake slightly, by replacing the kiwi with some avocado and adding turmeric, known for its De-bloating benefits.  Considering I have been on juice my belly isn't exactly flat, so every little helps.  I also made the beets and apple juice again with ginger and a chilli.  I haven't managed the lemonade again...maybe I'll try to today as a final flush out.

Whilst the positives of this cleanse are a good flush out, I have dropped a few pounds (I am in no way thinking that is anything, but water loss), my skin which is temperamental suffering hormonally and from the fact that I can be quite highly strung and have bursts of stress, has slowly cleared and lastly finally energy is starting to shine through.  Some cons being the fact it takes so long for my energy levels to creep back up, is enough to make anyone miserable and want to give up.  A weird side effect, that I have incurred before when doing the elimination diet, that also consisted of just fruit and veg.  I had the most excruciating aches and pains in my lower back and hips, which woke me at 4am and no matter what position i tried to sleep in, it was not laying off, after an hour of wriggling about and just as sleep may start to sink in, my aches were not having it.  There was nothing more I could do, pain killers had to be taken and in no time I was out.  So that 6am run would have happened, but I thought it wiser not to push my luck.

 Despite my interrupted sleep, it was not so hard to haul myself out of bed, supping the usual hot water, lemon and ginger to start the day.

Me morning fresh, looking quite perky for someone who has not long been up.  So another day of juice, and all in all, I could really get used to juice being part of my routine, just maybe not in such a hardcore way.   Now that I am seeing the benefits it makes me want to continue maybe even till tomorrow, well just in the day and allow myself an evening meal. I think it would be realistic to say I could give it a go during the week, as a replacement breakfast.  Aside from that anything more, for me would probably be unrealistic and frankly cruel I like my food too much!

This is not for the faint hearted and you really have to have a lot of willpower, I had to buypass office treats, free food from our canteen and the usual emotional induced cravings, you will suddenly crave things you would not normally crave.  One of my best cravings was a walkers cheese and onion crisp sandwich with butter and on cheap white bread.  Anyone who knows me, knows that is def a no no!  Once you get over the initial shock of just juice, it's not too bad.  The odd winge and moan is allowed, but in all fairness you probably won't have the energy to even vocalise it!

I will update on the aftermath of the juicing, hopefully there will have been some long term benefits to this adventure!

Lx

juice zombie!

Day 3...and I am still waiting for the anticipated burst of energy.  Usual start to the day with hot water lemon and ginger.  The thought of getting out of bed, showering, getting dressed and in to my car is exhausting.  Don't even get me started on the 5min walk, from my car to the station.  I am persevering, despite getting some not so welcome news last night, that made me want to cry, eat and drink wine.  I bypassed all three, and carried on with my final juice of the day.  Tbh I really wasn't in the mood for it, not that i was in the mood for anything.  I am probably not the best advert for a juice cleanse right now. Yesterday I don't think i even spoke, and mustering the energy to even smile was out of the question.

So this is me on day three, and i'll be honest with myself.....where is my glow!  I am investing a lot into this juicing: time, willpower and the last dredges of energy with the hopes of renewed, revitilised energy .  I am still patiently waiting!

 Two juices down and I am nearly halfway through my day!  In all fairness it is flushing me out in other areas (sorry tmi), so for now that's one positive! Bring on the 4 more juices of the day!!

Juicy Couture day 2

I think it may have been optimistic of me to think i could run this morning, much as it was a lovely one.  My bed clearly needed me more, well i slept till my alarm, so I must have needed it more.

So boredom definitely does not go hand in hand with this juicing.  My advice, do it when your busy that way hunger pangs won't hit, well hard anyway!  I downed my lemonade cocktail before the gym last night, it is my least favourite drink I have to say.  This might be down to, having tried my hand at the Cayenne pepper water diet in my youth-I would not advise it.  So I feel gulping it down and getting it over with easier.  Probably didn't help that I put a lot more than a pinch of cayenne pepper in, and found out the hard way, that it was in fact hot chilli cayenne pepper.  I still managed to hit the gym for a weight session, and actually felt relatively energised.

Back to the grind to whip up a juicing storm, this time I have stocked up.  I don't think I can face more juicing marathons, especially not in this quantity.  When you have little time in the eve it's not exactly how I want to be spending my down time, so can see why people go for ready made juice cleanses.

Despite the fact it is time consuming, I whizz through prepping these bad boys!  As you can see I mean business with both my juicer and a blender.  A fruit bowl juiced and blended and I soon had enough green juice to go into business.  I also made up some pineapple and apple juice. I can tell the structure of which juice is drunk where, is going to go a bit awol, or more like as long as i'm getting a juice I don't care.

 Considering I had gymed, got in and juiced immediately.  I wasn't gagging to have my final juice, so I was happy to potter about, shower before having sofa time with my final juice-AKA Dinner!  It wasn't so bad and was more like a nutty milkshake.  I only got a pang of the green eyed monster, when my mum entered with her very appealing bowl of tuna pasta...oh god, why am I doing this again.  I am going to say a herbal tea diverted that pang, it did for all of a second.

Today has been slow, and whilst I haven't particularly thought of food.  I do find myself flagging a bit.  Usual jobs are more effort than usual and in all honesty I can't even bring myself to talk.  Pilates tonight and that will be about as much as I can do.   Granted I stay awake.

Juicy Day 1!

Feeling sluggish and like the frumpiest sloth like creature ever!  Something had to be done, changes needed to be made.  My skin has been breaking out, stress levels reaching max, my gym mojo has been nowhere to be found and don't even get me started about my irritability!  Patience, I have very little of that at the best of the times, but I am worried for the general public's safety now.

So I have embarked on...wait for it..... Juicing! 4 days of juice, yes just juice.  I have already been asked this a lot "Just juice?", yes!..."no solids", no! just juice..."any meals?",  I'm sorry go back to previous paragraph about patience and the dismissal of it!  So just Juice.

 By the way I decided to do this, well yesterday.  And when I get something in my head well that's it, i'm focussed, i'm on this.  Off I toddled to Tesco, after doing the adequate research on D.I.Y juice cleanses, I found this one, it seemed quite popular. 6 juices a day consisting of 3x Green (kale, spinach, 1 banana, 2 green apples, 1 kiwi and I added ginger) the fourth a Beets and Apple juice ( Raw beetroot, 2 red apples, carrot and i added chilli well nought like an extra kick) this one can be alternated with a pineapple and apple juice (2 apple, half a pineapple, half a cucumber) , the fifth a lemonade (water, cayenne pepper, honey and lemon juice) and finally cashew milk to be drunk before bed (cashews soaked in water, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon and banana).  This can be done for 3-5 days, I'm going to give 4 a go...but come Friday night I'm done, unless I'm miraculously transformed.

Last night I juiced my heart out, to prepare all the juices I needed for the next day.  Had I had enough bottles i would have made enough to see me through the whole thing, but it's best to only do 2 days worth as you want them as fresh as possible.

Below I have my 3 green juices, which i will drink throughout the morning and lunch, then the Beets and apple juice as an afternoon snack.  As I am heading to the gym I will have my lemonade juice whilst working out.  I have also drank herbal teas throughout the day, but caffeine free ones.

 Day 1:

The mugg shot, this is me at the start of my juicing journey...what I am hoping to get out of this is some glowing skin and a bit of a renewed energy!  Obviously some lost pounds would be lovely...they can stay lost too!  However juicing is never going to be a long term weight loss programme,.

 

I began my day with a hot water infused with fresh lemon and ginger, so far I have consumed 2 juices and am about to have my lunch....yes another juice!  I am feeling ok at the moment, no massive hunger pangs the odd twinge, but this is probably more boredom and the requirement to be really busy throughout a challenge like this.  I think mustering the energy later to gym might take a lot of willpower.

WTS...for tomorrows entry!

Time for a change...

So after sticking with the routine liquid foundation, well in my case tinted moisturiser and concealer where needed.  Which lets face it varies on the quantity needed, as and when my face decides it wants to behave.  

However recently I was introduced in to a pretty amazing foundation/powder all in on, whilst working on a shoot.  By a company only sold on QVC, Laura Gellers Balance N Brighten pretty much does what it says on the tin.  I can be clambering in to the car, ready to dash to where ever I need to be.  With a sweep of my Kabuki brush and this magic powder, I am taken from the land of the living dead, well to the land of the living with an angelic glow.

(Laura Geller Balance N Brighten)

It works due to the marbled effect finishing.  Skin is not just one colour.  So where most of us are going wrong, is we try and cover up all imperfections, creating this masked effect.  Never a good look.  Balance N Bright gives your face a balanced finish, which in tern lifts the face, covering as it goes.  Feel free to do any extra concealing if you need any extra coverage and use Balance N Bright as you would a translucent powder.

(Bare Minerals Original)

So, I made it my mission to find similar products on the market, and some others you will definitely have heard of. Bare minerals, which if I am honest is the first i'd heard of, but I was always skeptical.  Use Bare minerals original powder, as you would any other base, work the powder into your skin build it up to the coverage you desire.

(Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation)

Finally Macs Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, another easy to apply base.  Designed to create a Matt velvety finish that conceals as any other foundation would.

The little compacts would definitely get my verdict, and opened my eyes to a fresh alternative, also say goodbye to shine, which i tend to suffer with in the usual places...my nose being a particular point of concern.  Well no more, and I don't even have to reapply until theend of the day if i really feel i need it.

Give it a try you might be pleasantly surprised.

Lx