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Today is Day 25 of my 30 day juice fast journey, with FIVE DAYS LEFT. That's amazing. Only five days left before I can eat that avocado and sliced tomatoes. I've been thinking so much about that avocado. And those tomato slices. I think the two would most definitely compliment each other. Then again, they stand alone so well. But I have to be careful coming off this fast. I have said this time and again throughout this blog, I must be careful when I come off this fast. I simply cannot emphasis that enough. I must be very very careful when I come off this fast.
Today was a beautiful day. The temps were in the mid 60s, with a slightly chilly wind, enough to wear a sweater. It was the kind of day that soothes and brings on a high that makes you feel so glad you're alive. The sun was dazzling, playing tag with the shadows between the leaves of the hibiscus bushes that line my back lanai. I could smell someone's jasmine. It could have been anyone's, it grows everywhere. The lizards who live in my potted plants plotted out paths to evade Magellan, my 9 month old kitten. He weighs 16 pounds of pure warrior cat and those lizards don't stand a chance if they're not clever. I happen to like lizards (amphibians and reptiles) and whenever I am out back, I watch and make sure Magellan doesn't corner any lizards. There are whole families and the babies at times are no bigger than my longest fingernail. But today, even Magellan, the king of the jungle, was mellow.
I introduced the young man, Russell, whom I am helping with his GED, to the juices. He'd never heard of such a thing as juicing vegetables. As I mentioned in my blog yesterday http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=573&i=48 , he was abused and he'd slipped through the cracks at a very young age. Russell (27) was pulled out of school in the 5th grade by his abusive adoptive mother (he was forceably rmoved from his biological mother's custody due to abuse) and never went back to school. He had no loving guidance in his youth and was led far astray. He has probably never eaten healthy and surely hasn't for at least a decade. Today he drank 10 carrots, 4 apples, couple handfuls of spinach and parsley, half a beet, beet greens, 2 stalks of celery, between two 16 ounce glasses undiluted. He said that was probably more veggies than he'd had in probably 10 years. That is amazing. And the best thing? He actually liked the juices.
My Agave Nectar arrived today and none too soon. I've run out of honey and had not intended to purchase any more any time soon, to consume. I use it in beauty cosmetics, but had not planned to eat it or drink it anymore. So, the agave nectar arrived today. I compared the labels and they went like this:
HONEY
Calories: 60
Carbs: 17%
Sugars: 16%
NECTAR
Calories: 25
Carbs: 6%
Sugars: 7%
A huge difference.
The Awesome Agave
The agave (uh-gah-vay) plant has long been cultivated in hilly, semi-arid soils of Mexico. Its fleshy leaves cover the pineapple-shaped heart of the plant, which contains a sweet sticky juice. Ancient Mexicans considered the plant to be sacred. They believed the liquid from this plant purified the body and soul. When the Spaniards arrived, they took the juices from the agave and fermented them, leading to the drink we now call tequila.
But there is a more interesting use for this historic plant. Agave syrup (or nectar) is about 90% fructose. Only recently has it come in use as a sweetener. It has a low glycemic level and is a delicious and safe alternative to table sugar. Unlike the crystalline form of fructose, which is refined primarily from corn, agave syrup is fructose in its natural form. This nectar does not contain processing chemicals. Even better, because fructose is sweeter than table sugar, less is needed in your recipes. It can be most useful for people who are diabetic, have insulin resistance (Syndrome X), or are simply watching their carbohydrate intake.
Fructose has a low glycemic value. However, according to some experts, if fructose is consumed after eating a large meal that overly raises the blood sugar or with high glycemic foods, it no longer has a low glycemic value. Strangely enough, it will take on the value of the higher glycemic food. So exercise restraint, even with this wonderful sweetener. It is a good policy to eat fructose-based desserts on an empty stomach, in between meals or with other low-glycemic foods. Use it for an occasional treat or for a light touch of sweetness in your dishes.
For Your Information:
- This sweetener is sometimes called "nectar" and sometimes called "syrup". It is the same food.
- The light syrup has a more neutral flavor.
- In recipes, use about 25% less of this nectar than you would use of table sugar. ¾ cup of agave nectar should equal 1 cup of table sugar. For most recipes this rule works well.
- When substituting this sweetener in recipes, reduce your liquid slightly, sometimes as much as 1/3 less.
- Reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees.
- The glycemic index of agave nectar is low.
- As a food exchange, a one-teaspoon serving of agave nectar equals a free food. Two servings or two teaspoons equals ½ carbohydrate exchange.
-- Shake Off the Sugar (Lynn Stephens)
And I love the taste the of the Agave Nectar. It seems to be sweeter than honey and almost tastes similar to sugar. Everyone here really likes it. I have never liked Stevia. Can't find any that doesn't taste bitter to me. I want to eliminate sugar completely from my diet. I get it mostly in my one or two cups of coffee, but am thinking about ending that. No more coffee. No more nondairy creamer. No more white sugar.
What I'd like to find is some kind of beverage that's bold like coffee to take it's place. Some kind of roasted nut beverage. I can almost smell it. There has to be some kind of beverage like that. Surely I didn't just invent it.
I just did a quick little google search and began to think that perhaps I did just invent the roasted nut beverage and then came across this little tid bit. It sounds interesting, but not sure it's what I am looking for. It does give me hope that there are more possibilities out there. I'll keep looking.
Guarana
Brazil's special nut - a high caffine stimulant
Found uniquely in Brazil in the Amazon jungle, the Guarana plant is a tropical climbing shrub that is cultivated by a few indian tribes for centuries. it does not grow wild. The seeds make a potent stimulant
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Brazilians do not eat anything in the morning. They work hard from sunrise to sundown. The Guarana drink eliminates the siesta which is the rule in other parts of Latin America. The custom of taking a GUARANA refreshment is little known outside of Brazil and is particularly strong in the states of Mato Grosso and Amazonas.. The plant is native to these areas.
A stick of GUARANA is found in most Brazilian homes. The hard stick is rubbed over a grate to scrape off some powder. A teaspoon of powder is spread on the surface of a cup of cold water. As the powder dissolves the reddish-brown solution is drunk by millions of people every morning. The taste is extremely agreeable when mixed with sugar, but quite bitter when consumed alone. In spite of the high caffeine content, Guarana acts extremely slowly. During a 4 to 6 hour period it stimulates circulation and frees the human body from a drowsy condition. A person eating a heavy meal of fish or meat will be perked up.
The seeds are plucked one by one, the seeds are cleaned by rubbing in water, then dried in the sun. Next they are roasted on a pan or earthenware pot stirring frequently until the shells become brittle. The hot seeds are put into a strong fiber bag and beaten with a cudgel to remove the shells. Then the seeds are reheated to remove more moisture. The clean kernels are crushed in a mortar
This makes a fine, dry powder. During the night moisture seeps into the powder from the air and the next day the powder is formed into bars, cakes,, or figures of animals. These cakes are slowly dried in an oven using little heat for 2 to 3 weeks.
The drink is believed to improve health, help digestion, prevent sleepiness, increase mental activity, and it is whispered that it improves sexua| activities.
The pounded Guarana seeds are used as a flour in Guarana bread. The seeds are also mingled with casava and water to make the favorite drink of the Orinoco Indians.
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This is Day Two of using Oxy Powder. Thus far it's really done everything it said it would do. This is a seven day cleanse, and I have five more days on it, so it ends on the same day as my fast. Although, I do intend to use the entire bottle as maintenance after the cleanse. I must say, of all the cleansers I've tried and I have tried many, including the ones mentioned in CZ -- none of them and I do mean none of them, come close to doing what this Oxypowder does with NO discomfort, cramping or feelings of dehydration. In addition, the Oxypowder works very quickly. I take the dosage before bed and the next morning there I am, right on cue, right on time. I must mention, I've established a relationship with the can, a sort of rapport, that I didn't know was possible. And I shall end tonight's Oxypowder report on that note.
Time for tea and tonight it's Blueberry and cinnamon stick.
Talk with you tomorrow.
~ Dazzle
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