Day 29 - The Watermelon Cure

Today is Day 29 in my Fresh Start Journey and I lost another pound which brings it up to 22 lbs in 29 days.  Not bad.  I could not walk since I was not feeling so good.  I think the change of weather brought a slight cold that made me a bit tired.  Now I feel energetic again and went for my walk this morning.  So I decided to juice me some watermelon.  I cut one in half and this is how much juice it gave me.  I am surprised but then watermelon is mainly water.  It's really a treat to find information on food that I am consuming.  The watermelon is just one of the ones I an surprised to learn about.  

Watermelon is everyone’s favorite summer fruit, or is it? Did you know that the Watermelon isn’t even a fruit? Yep!!, neither did I. Here are ten other interesting facts about Watermelon.

The Facts:

1. Not only does it quench your thirst, it can also quench inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.
2. Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide.
3. Watermelon is an ideal health food because it doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol, is high in fiber and vitamins A & C and is a good source of potassium.
4. Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing free radicals.
5. Watermelon is a vegetable! It is related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
6. Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
7. Watermelon is grown in over 96 countries worldwide.
8. In China and Japan watermelon is a popular gift to bring a host.
9. In Israel and Egypt, the sweet taste of watermelon is often paired with the salty taste of feta cheese.
10. Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds.\

For more information on Watermelon's history and nutritional and health benefits..click here

Thanks for stopping by..Have a blessed day and please leave a comment.  

Day 27 - Which Juicer Is The Best!!

When I finally decided to start juicing, I was low on cash and I did not want to buy a cheap juicer. I had almost forgotten the juicer that I had bought so many years ago, actually in 1997,  called the Juiceman ll, a product from Jack Lalanne.  It was in my cabinet stored away in the back.  It needed to be cleaned and the next day I went shopping for some vegetables to juice.  It worked great but the motor is noisy.  That's ok...I had a juicer and did not have to spend money.  I will save some money in order to buy the juicer I really want which is very powerful and the motor is not that noisy.

My daughter has the Breville JE98XL and it juices very fast.  Infact, the pulp that is left is nice and dry.  My juicer leaves my pulp wet and that means there is more juice to be had but my juicer is not powerful enough to extract all the juice.  That means I am not getting my moneys worth as I am looking for bargains when I shop for vegetables and fruits.   Here is a video showing you atleast 10 different juicers.

Breville Juice Fountain Elite vs Omega VRT350HD Juicer Review

The 2nd video he shows us the difference of each juicer.  The Brevel comes with a cup that has a divider to catch the foam that comes out with the juice.  I have not made up my mind yet.  I like the Brevel but I also want to look into the Omega.  Not the one that they used to demonstrate with but a better model that will be able to juice green vegetables like spinach much better.  

I hope this helped you if you are looking for a juicer.  There are many juicers in the market.  It all depends what your need is, what you expect it to do for the juicing you want.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave a comment.  I would love to hear about your search for a juicer and what you discovered.   If you already have a juicer, let us know your experiences with it, your likes and dislikes about your juicer.  Have a blessed day!

Day 11 - Why Is Mango Called The "King Of Fruits" ?

This is wonderful news..I lost another pound.  Total now is 11 lbs in 11 days.  I seem to be keeping that record.  Will see how tomorrow goes.  I found this delicious recipe that has lots of nutrients and aids in detoxing your body..Believe me this works!!  It was so delicious that I forgot to take a picture of it.  It was creamy and as you can see light color.  The mango and kiwi gave it an exciting taste.  I am not worried about the calories anymore.  I am sure some of these fruits are higher in calories but I am not having this everyday..just once in a while and what a great change to have in the morning.

I am also happy to report that my ankles are not swollen, my legs feel thinner and look thinner and some of the pains I had around my hip and leg areas are disappearing.  The toxins are coming out of my body..yeeeaaaahhhh!! This has been a challenge alright and I will continue to improve.

Here are the ingredients.

Kiwi Orange Mango Juicer Recipe   (I doubled the recipe)
1 kiwi, peeled
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1/2 mango, peeled and sliced

Process kiwi, orange and mango through your juicer. Pour the juice into a chilled glass. Enjoy!

Health Benefits:

• Kiwi fruit provides an excellent source of vitamin C (more than oranges) and is especially important in respiratory-related health problems including wheezing, shortness of breath, asthma and coughing.
• Kiwi fruits contain about as much potassium as bananas.
• Kiwi offers a very good source of fiber which is why it is useful in decreasing the probability of colon cancer. Fiber has also been proven to reduce cholesterol levels, improving the conditions of patients with cardiovascular diseases and lowering the probability of heart attacks.
• Kiwi's black seeds can be crushed to produce kiwi fruit oil, which is very rich in Alfa-Linoleic Acid (an important Omega-3 essential fatty acid).
• Kiwi is also rich in flavonoids that help protect our cells from oxidative damage, and are therefore considered very helpful in protecting our DNA from mutations and damage.
• Kiwi can help protect us from age related macular degeneration.
• Kiwi is rich in phytonutrients which prevent blood clotting and control fatty acid levels in your blood.
• When kiwi juice is mix with water and vodka it can be use as astringent to help tighten and tone the skin.

The Mango trees is found in Haryana in a wide belt along the Yamuna river. Mango tree is an evergreen tree, native to India, widely found in South Asia. It is now also grown in the drier tropics and in the United States. Mango is a tall tree growing up to 100 feet, a dense, heavy crown and a spread of 125 feet. The evergreen drooping leaves resemble those of the peach tree. Coppery to purplish-red at first but becoming green at maturity, they are lance-shaped and slightly curved. Mango tree is long lived, some specimen are more than 250 years old and are still bearing fruit. The flowers of mango are small, ivory colored and very numerous. The fruit clusters hang outside the foliage canopy.

Due to its superb, juicy, tasty and very colorful fruit, Mango is known as the 'King of fruits'. Called Am or Aaam in Hindi, Aamrum in Sanskrit, Mango in English and Spanish, manja in Dutch, it has a great variety in species, forms, size, color, scent, taste and quality. There are over 500 named varieties of the mango. The colorful, tasty, juicy, flavored fruit is known all over the world. Within each fruit there is a large flat elongated fibrous stone containing a single seed.  Here is a video to show you how to cut a mango.  He uses mostly the ends and leaves the middle..I would use all of it.  

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Mangoes 

• Mango, being high in calories and carbohydrates, is good for those who are trying to gain weight.
• The phenolic compound found in mangoes has been found to have powerful antioxidant and anticancer properties.
• Being high in iron, mango is said to be very good for pregnant women as well as for people suffering from anemia.
• Mango is believed to be effective in relieving clogged pores of the skin.
• The vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin E and selenium present in mangoes provide protection against heart disease.
• Mangoes have been found to be quite helpful in treating acidity and poor digestion.
• It is being said that the Vitamin E present in mango helps hormonal system function more efficiently and thus, boosts sex life.
• The anti-inflammatory properties of mango might help alleviate asthma symptoms. 

Other Benefits

Mango has been found to be beneficial for people suffering from the following ailments 

• Bacterial Infections
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Dysentery
• Eye Disorders
• Hair Loss
• Heat Stroke
• Leucorrhea
• Liver Disorders
• Menstrual Disorders
• Morning Sickness
• Piles
• Prickly Heat
• Scurvy
• Sinusitis
• Spleen Enlargement
• Vaginitis

Thanks for coming to my blog and reading on my continued Fresh Start Journey...I wish you all a blessed day!

Preparing For My First Day!!

The Day Before I start:  I BOUGHT A SCALE

I have been planning and talking about going on a diet for such a long time but I never started.  My daughter had been trying to get me to eat healthier but I kept on saying I will..when I do this or do that.  I never really started.  I am by no means in a healthy state as far as my body goes.  I have aches and pains and my feet swell up in the heat.  Ofcourse, I talked myself out of it because I would blame my age, but really, does age have anything to do with it?  By using excuses, I never would have to be on a diet because tomorrow is when I would start...RIGHT!!...unfortunately tomorrow never came.

So...where am I going with this????...Well, my daughter had me watch a movie "FAT, SICK AND ALMOST DEAD" on Netflix and what these people did to lose weight is not something that just started..it is called Juicing.  Heck..Jack Lallane came out with juicing in 1997 when I saw him on TV and he came out with the Juiceman 11.  I ordered the juicer and it arrived at my home in less than 2 weeks.  The next day we bought fresh vegetable...everything that was good for juicing in the combination it specified in their recipe.  Oh that was alot of fun.  We did that for a few days..and then it wasn't that much fun anymore.  I was not serious enough to decide then to try the juice diet..until now!!.. Here is my juicer which is 14 years old...AND IT WORKS!!

So, I went to super Walmart tonight and decided to get a scale.  I haven't had a scale to show my weight in such a long time.  I convinced myself that I don't need one in my home.  If I didn't have one, I could not weight myself.  Not a bad idea..huh!!  Well, if I am going to do this right then I need to keep track of my weight.

This scale is awesome.  It actually keeps track of 4 users.  It also remembers what you weight the last time and calculates how much you lost...cool.  I like that.  Now that I have my scale, I am planning tomorrow's breakfast.  I cannot post it now for that will be for Day 1.  See you tomorrow..I need my beauty sleep to get my FRESH START!!

Goodnight for now!!