Sick & Nearly Dead

Juicing, Obsessions, Raw

Joe the Juicer

Motivation Monday: “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” -La Rochefoucauld

I hope everyone started their week off right with a healthy breakfast! Last week was completely exhausting. I have stitches in my bottom of my foot, crutches, am waiting for my skin biopsy to hear if my mole was cancerous, and feel pretty crappy all around. To top it off, I went to a new doctor for my thyroid issues last Wednesday, and my recent lab work showed that my thyroid is getting worse and worse. Do you ever feel like when it rains, it pours? Like everything happens all at once? I was surprised to learn that my thyroid has gone out of whack in the completely opposite direction than before. My previous doctor told me that I had HYPERthyroid, but after retesting and seeing a new doctor, my results showed up as HYPOthyroid. With my current lab results and all of my symptoms, my doctor wanted to do a more in depth panel of blood work for my thyroid, and test me for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I dealt with painful ovarian cysts in high school, and have literally every symptom in the book for PCOS: weight gain, hair loss, acne, depression, severe mood swings, etc., so I am really curious to see my results. Right now, I’m at a point where I just want everything to get figured out. I feel terrible all the time and I just want to feel better!

I went back to my doctor the next day for a fasting glucose/insulin test and more thyroid panels. I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything from 9pm Wednesday night until after my insulin/glucose test on Thursday. The test was not fun at all. Not that blood tests are a party… but they are usually quick. In, out, and done. After running thyroid panels (so many tubes!), I had to stay for 3 hours of glucose/insulin testing.


First draw: normal blood sample after fasting
Then I had to chug a bottle of “Orange” 100 Glucose for my test. Ohhh my gosh. Sick. Not in a good way. In a nasty, bad way. I had to drink the highest level possible, which was 100 grams of glucose! That’s more than anyone should have per day, omg! It was thick like syrup and tasted like a mix of orange Gatorade and Tang! A few minutes later I got a huge sugar rush and felt so sick. There’s no better feeling than being hungry, and then pumping your body full of sugar, right? ughhh.
Second draw: 30 minutes after consuming the drink. Then had a rash all over my arms from where the cotton ball and tape were, so we had to switch to kid’s non adhesive Band-Aids.
Third draw: 30 minutes later
Fourth draw: one hour later, couldn’t get any blood out of my vein and had to switch arms and be re-poked
Fifth draw: one hour later
End result: 7 pokes, 1 Scooby Doo Band-Aid, 1 Strawberry Shortcake Band-Aid, 2 bruised arms, 1 allergic reaction, and extreme hunger.

After I was finished with all of my tests I met my mom for the world’s biggest lunch. While hobbling up the 3 small stairs to the restaurants one of my crutches slipped on some water and I ate it, and stepped on my injured foot. Omg, it was a hot mess. Love that everyone watched it happen and no one came to help me… that was super duper! After I have my championship comeback moment and got myself back up on the crutches I was literally shaking because I was so hungry. I’ll just end the story there and say I ate, and got home safely!

The next couple of days were okay, I was just exhausted and my foot was in so much pain. I finally felt like things were looking up when I remembered that I was going to go see Joe Cross from “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” speak at a conference! I was so excited that I couldn’t even sleep on Friday night, so I watched “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” on Netflix while I put together some T-Shirt orders. I cannot remember how I found out about this conference, it was so random. I only remember seeing online that Joe Cross was speaking in Orange County, and then saw that it was at a conference called “A Day for M.E. (Mom Empowerment)” by an organization called Moms In Charge. I have to admit I felt a little awkward buying a ticket to a mom conference haha. Just a bit out of place… but I just had to hear Joe speak!

Saturday night, I managed to get myself to the conference and even better: a front parking spot, and a second row seat! I bought a half day ticket to the conference, so I arrived around 6:30pm and caught a cooking demonstration by Chef Jenny Ross, owner of the raw restaurant 118 Degrees.

Chef Jenny was adorable! She gave a great presentation with fun and easy ways to make kid friendly raw meals. She made a raw PowerFull Parfait, raw Deviled Tomatoes, and gave an excellent demo on how to cut open a young coconut. Extra points because she used a Vitamix! She finished her cooking demonstration with a quote that I absolutely loved:

“There are no diets, no calorie counting, and no measuring fats, carbs or protein grams. None of that matters if you choose real, whole, fresh, live foods. If you choose quality, the rest takes care of itself.” -Dr. Mark Hyman

In between speakers the founder of Moms In Charge, Dotty Hagmier went up on the stage to speak about the organization. Before arriving at the event, I had no idea what this organization was, nor did I really care, because of the word “mom.” I figured it was a conference for mom and baby types of products, but I was so wrong. The organization is a “resource for moms who are searching for ways to give their kids the best chance of living healthy, vibrant lives. It is also a movement for moms to become empowered with informations of what is in our food and products so we can make the most informed decisions and transition to a healthier, vibrant life with our kids to ultimately: change the shape of our future.” –Source

The conference showcased everything from healthy recipes and snacks, to safe chemical free cleaning products to use in your home. Although I’m not a mom, I felt like I really related to this group of women, because I too am part of a movement to help and inform others to make healthy choices. Now only am I excited that I bought a ticket to this conference to see my juicing idol Joe Cross, but I am so happy that my money went to such a fantastic organization which shares similar beliefs as I do. If I didn’t think this organization was this fantastic, I wouldn’t have mentioned it at all and would’ve just talked about hearing Joe Cross speak, but I think this group deserves a shout out. This is the type of group that I would love to be a part of if I have children one day. If you are a mommy who lives in the Orange County area and is interested in Moms in Charge, checkout their website for more information! I wish them success and hope that they open more chapters in other areas as well.

Next up was the main event: JOE THE JUICER CROSS
OH MY GOSH!!!!!


Joe started off with a general intro about his film and then went into some details about how he got started and where he’s at today. I couldn’t help but laugh because three minutes into his speech, he grabbed a pice of Kale that was on stage from Chef Jenny’s cooking demonstration and held it for the entire duration. The photograph above is the only one that I have without him holding a piece of Kale. I think its pretty symbolic and amazing that he’s holding kale in all of my photos though! Just the way that I had pictured him… Joe, with kale.


I honestly wish I had a timestamp on these photos because although it may look as if they were taken at the same time, these photographs were taken throughout his 1.5 hour speech! Serious kale love right there!

I enjoyed his speech because not only did he bring up important points about the benefits of juicing, but he also showed us that he is a normal person who struggled with weight and health issues before, and still deals with temptation today just like anyone else. He gave us a little story about his life before the documentary. Joe said that “as a child I used to turn to sugar as a pick me up. It’s always there, it never lets me down, and it never talks back. I find myself still doing that today, and I want you to know that.” He also mentioned that while on dates, he used to be very self conscious of what he was eating so he would order a salad because he wouldn’t want anyone to see how he really ate. He then laughed as he informed us that he would buy a pizza on the way home because he was so hungry!

We also got a little behind the scenes information on before the filming began. Up until midnight before the filming started, Joe had his “last dinner” which consisted of chinese food and beers, and then… another round. We were cracking up as he told us that he went for yet another round when he realized that although it was midnight in New York, it was still 9pm on the west coast! After a night of feasting, he said that it made the first few days of his juice fast even harder. His tip for anyone who is starting a juice fast: “don’t do what I did,” and start eating only plant based foods a few days prior. Excellent tip Joe haha. I can’t imagine going from such a large volume of food to just juice! Yikes! Midway through his speech, Joe spoke about consumerism and his love for Oreos. He said “I love Oreos. I love them. I would marry one if I could!” I think everyone felt relieved that even Joe the Juicer still gets tempted by foods like Oreos!

After Joe wrapped up his speech, it was time for some book signing! I was so excited to meet Joe and have him sign my “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” book! He was full of personality and super energetic. As he signed my book he was sipping on a green juice so I asked him what kind of juice it was. He replied “I have no idea, everywhere I go people give me juice. I eat too!” with a laugh. He then asked what happened to my foot and helped me stand sans crutches for a photo with him. He’s a great guy with an incredible story. If you haven’t seen his documentary, you have to watch it! It’s available for rent or purchase on both Amazon.com and iTunes, and is streaming on Netflix. If you are interested in doing a reboot visit Joe’s website: Reboot Your Life, become a fan of Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead and Joe on Facebook, and follow Joe on Twitter!




My weekend ended yesterday with a broken iPhone, pinched nerve in my underarm form my crutches, and food poising. Fun times. Luckily my Monday was a very happy one indeed as I received a thank you note from my “23rd Birthday Giveaway” winner, Megan J.! Seriously made my day. Things like this are why I continue to blog and share my journey with you every day!


Hearing Joe speak and meeting him in person was such an amazing experience. He is so inspiring that I am thinking about doing a reboot soon! Is anyone interested in doing a juice reboot?

You can read about my previous 5 day juice cleanse here:

Juice Challenge Day 1
Juice Challenge Day 2
Juice Challenge Day 3
Juice Challenge Day 4
Juice Challenge Day 5
Juice Challenge Ended

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Hurdles, Recipes, Tips

Frustration

Most of you have read my weight loss story and are aware of my success, and struggles. Today, I hit a bump in the road and found myself stuck in another body image slump. When I started this blog, I wanted to be honest with my readers and share my story, tips, recipes, struggles, and frustrations, so today I will share with you what I have been struggling with for the past few months.

Got a tres chic “Eat Rabbit Food” bracelet made from a street vendor at Fisherman’s Wharf when I was in San Francisco this weekend!

 I feel like I have been “dieting” for so long that losing weight is extremely easy for me. To my surprise, maintaining my weight is the real challenge. I know exactly what it takes to consistently lose weight, but maintaining is a whole different story. After I had lost a substantial amount of weight and wanted to start toning, I began to research, and read so many different theories about gaining muscle that it was enough to make my head spin. I had no idea which solution would work for me, weather it was a high protein low fat or low carb diet, weight training, resistance training… ahhh! I started adding more protein into my diet, but along with the protein came extra calories, which quickly turned into too many. I really struggled with finding a perfect balance to keep my weight stable while gaining muscle. Although I finally figured out what combination worked for me, it was a frustrating battle. During this time, I gained 5lbs, which was extremely discouraging for me. This was the first time I saw my weight go up since the start of my weight loss. Even though it was a small amount of weight, my obsession with the number on the scale was still present. I became depressed and stressed, not wanting to go out with friends or see anyone in fear of them noticing my “weight gain.” I was disappointed in myself for working so hard for so long and then “slipping up.” Even with the praise and encouragement of others, I could not be happy or content with my weight; it was purely mental. This was around the same time that I started to severely restrict my diet before turning my habits around.

Knowing how obsessive I can get about dieting, I wanted to let myself indulge and enjoy the holidays this past year. Over Christmas, Sam came to visit for a couple of weeks and I allowed myself to go out to dinner with him and actually enjoy food. It was still an uncomfortable struggle to eat a normal meal at a restaurant and not feel guilty or restrict afterwards. After Sam returned to Texas, I got back to my regular routine of healthy home cooked meals and felt very proud of myself for getting back on track and not having one ounce of guilt from the food I had consumed over the holidays. A week later I went to Texas to spend new years with Sam, and then flew to Denver with him and his family to go skiing. I had so much anxiety on this ski trip because of my eating habits. I didn’t want to look like the crazy girl with food issues, but I’m sure it was showing full force. I can’t eat like my 6’5 friend or his 6’6 brother and other tall athletic family members. I tried so hard to enjoy the vacation, but I was constantly thinking about food and counting ever calorie in my head. It was exhausting, but I couldn’t let go of it and enjoy myself in fear of gaining weight during the trip. After I returned home to Los Angeles, I could not get back to my regular routine. I was angry, and annoyed with myself that I could not get back to my healthy eating and exercise routine, and then I was even more upset with myself for letting this whole thing get to me. It was a terrible few weeks of self-hatred and disappointment, and it was all caused by food. After I finally got back on track and felt my clothes fitting again, along came a whirl of celebrations and events. My grandpa’s birthday, sister’s birthday, Valentine’s day, mom’s birthday, launch of my blog, trip to Japan, and trip to San Francisco all happened from January to April. It seemed like every week I had a commitment and I had no time for myself. I became stressed beyond belief, but was working on allowing myself to indulge without regret or anxiety at every affair. I noticed my weight starting to rise, but continued to exercise when I was home, and tried my hardest to cook balanced healthy meals. I wanted to be at peace with food and allow myself to celebrate and enjoy.

How cute are these veggies phone charms that I got from Japan? The Japanese never fail to make healthy foods cute.

When I arrived home from Japan , I noticed that my clothes were much tighter and I was uncomfortable, even in my favorite outfits. I stepped on the scale and noticed a significant weight gain. Once again my obsession with the number came back. If you remember how depressed and angry I felt after the first 5lbs I gained after my weight loss, you could only imagine how I felt at this time. I became ashamed of myself, embarrassed, and most of all; sad. I spent a majority of my days looking at myself in the mirror and thinking about how much I hated myself and my body. I was angry and started snapping at my friends, family all because I felt unhappy with my body. I hate that this has so much control over me. I don’t want my weight to affect my happiness anymore. I am not being fair to myself by letting food, weight, and body image get to me the way it does.

After an impromptu trip to San Francisco last week, I decided it was time for a change because “if you do not change, you will remain the same,” and I cannot sit around and be depressed about my body anymore. There are so many other things to be excited and happy about. After eating our way through San Francisco, my friend Erica, her sister Cece, and I watched the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead together. The film is about an Australian man who juices for 60 days to reboot his system, heal the inside of his body, and lose weight. If you haven’t seen this movie already, you should definitely check it out. I have actually watched it twice before, but this time (third time is a charm, right?) it really struck something in me. Since I love a challenge and love to prove others and even myself wrong, so I am taking the juice challenge to cleanse my system of toxins, refresh my palette, and give my body the vitamins and minerals that it has been craving after months of celebrating. I am not sure how long I will juice, but I am excited to try different recipes and document/share my honest emotions and thoughts each day of the challenge. Since many people think that healthy eating is expensive, I’ll try to find the most affordable way to get the tastiest juices possible!

Last night I went to whole foods and found  a bunch of bottled juices on sale for 2 for $5, so I bought 6 of them, and then emptied the contents, removed the labels, and cleaned the bottles in preparation for my homemade juices.

Tonight, I am going to Erica’s house to create my first round of juices, and then starting tomorrow, Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth is going allllll liquid! Of course I will transition back to my fun Rabbit Food Pyramid meals after the challenge, but for right now, I need to take some time for myself to get back to where I was when I started this blog. If anyone else is interested in joining in on the juicing challenge, leave me a comment! Even swapping out one snack/meal per day with juice could be a great healthy start!

To prepare for my juice challenge, I am drinking Green Monsters and tons of water all day today! This recipe is based off of my original green smoothie with the addition of pineapple and more mint!

Green Monster:
makes 3 servings

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup almond milk
1 bunch kale
1 frozen ripe banana (peel and freeze beforehand)
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup of mint leaves (I use one small package from Whole Foods)

Start off by combing orange juice and almond milk with kale and blend until smooth. Then add the frozen banana, mango, pineapple, and mint leaves. Blend until thick and smooth, pour into 3 glass jars and enjoy. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.


Question: What do you do when you are having a bad day? How do you get re-inspired to get healthy and stay on track?

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