Day 25 - Spinach Anyone??

Here is my refrigerator filled with 2 bags of 3lbs each of spinach, a 25 lb bag of carrots and other various vegetables and fruits.  I must be out of my mind...yep!!,,but this will all be gone in about a week.  Not bad though when you consider there is no meat and I purchased enough for two weeks under $100. Is this what it's called "GOING GREEN"?.

I have not been blogging for the last two days except posting a recipe.  I had so many things to do that I needed to focus on them since I had a long weekend.  It is no wonder that I have stayed the same in weight since Friday morning.  My daughter and I went to Orlando for the a fundraiser for a little girl named "Izzy" who has leukemia and there was alot of snackie foods. White chocolate covered strawberry. I could not resist, but I must admit, it did not taste the way I remember.  My taste buds are changing and that is really on the plus side.  Plus I did not juice except for breakfast which makes it a little hard.  I woke up late this morning since it is my day off and can do that..LOL!!.  I rarely sleep in so this was a treat.  BUT, now to business!!

I had a nice large class of apple juice this morning made from golden delicious apples this time.

Here is the recipe for the lunch and dinner I just juiced

3-4 large handful of fresh spinach
2 cucumbers
1 bunch parsley
12 carrots

Wash the spinach, carrots, parley and cucumber if they are not organic.  Then juice all together..ENJOY!!  It has a sweet taste because of the carrots.

I posted about the Health Benefits of Spinach and nutritional value here.  Although I eat my spinach mostly raw in a salad, now I am using them for juicing.  If you are more into cooking spinach, here is a suggestion.

The Healthiest Way of Cooking Spinach
Spinach is only one of three vegetables we recommend boiling to free up acids and allow them to leach into the boiling water; this brings out a sweeter taste from the spinach. Discard the boiling water after cooking; do not drink it or use it for stock because of its acid content.

Use a large pot (3 quart) with lots of water and bring to a rapid boil. Add spinach to the boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Begin timing as soon as you place the spinach in the pot if you are using 1 pound or less of spinach. If you are cooking larger quantities of spinach bring the water back to a boil before beginning timing the 1 minute. Do not cover the pot when cooking spinach. Leaving the pot uncovered helps to release more of the acids with the rising steam. Research has shown that the boiling of spinach in large amounts of water helps decrease the oxalic acid content by as much as 50%.
Remove spinach from pot, press out liquid with a fork, place in a bowl, toss with our Mediterranean Dressing, and top with your favorite optional ingredients.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.  Let me know what your favorite juicing is or even your favorite recipe that you would like for me to post.  Have a wonderful Labor Day everyone!!

Day 23 - The Health Benefits of Using A Treadmill

I lost another lb which brings it up to 19 lbs lost in 23 days.  I feel really good and energetic.  I have been walking every day and today I will be dancing to the Wii Dance 1. Today I will be blogging about the treadmill.  I don't own a treadmill but I have gone to the gym a few times and have used the treadmill. I liked using it and if I had the room to have it set up all the time, I would purchase one.  There are many benefits of using a treadmill and here are some of them.


Everyone wants to get healthy and stay in shape. This goal can sometimes seem quite elusive. There are never enough hours in the day to do everything we want to do, and our fitness regimen often falls by the wayside.
However, to fully enjoy life and get the most out of it, we NEED to be in shape.  Exercise is the lifeblood of our existence. It gives us energy, stamina, and even happiness. It’s time we all started exercising daily, even if it’s only for a little bit at a time.


The easiest way to do this is with a treadmill at home. But treadmills aren’t only good for reminding you to exercise and making it convenient, there are plenty of wonderful health benefits that come with using this kind of home fitness machine.


Here are the top 5 health benefits of daily treadmill workouts:

1.   Treadmills improve cardiovascular health.
This means using them makes your heart stronger. A strong heart will, in turn increase the blood flow throughout your body, revitalizing every part of you. This includes helping you breathe better, heal faster, and even think more clearly.
2.  Treadmill walking easily burns calories, helping you to lose weight.
The longer you stay on it, the more calories you burn, and the leaner you can become. As you get more fit and can endure more, you can even pump up the intensity of your workouts to lose even more weight. If you workout regularly, you can be sleek and slim, just like you’ve always wanted.[ReviewAZON asin="B000BGMFHO" display="inlinepost"]
3.  Treadmill workouts can help you sleep better.
It’s a proven fact that lack of exercise will keep you up at night. A good workout on the treadmill during the day will put your body in the right state to sleep deeply that night, and can be wonderful for curing insomnia. Just remember to not exercise within 2 hours of going to bed because that can keep you up as well.
4.  A treadmill workout relieves stress and helps eliminate depression.
In fact, exercise is one of the best stress relievers on the planet, and many doctors say it’s more effective than any medication for mild to moderate depression and anxiety. A little bit of time on the treadmill each day can really boost your mood and improve your outlook in a profound way.
5.  Workouts help ease the symptoms of diabetes.
Regular walking, including walking on a treadmill, regulates blood sugar levels and increases insulin sensitivity in your muscles. Many people who use a treadmill regularly have been able to reduce their diabetes medications with the help of their doctor.
You should try it, too!

Benefits to Diabetics

Treadmills are a great way to encourage people to exercise regularly, and regular exercise is a very important factor in controlling insulin levels in type 2 diabetics. According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry regular exercise decreases blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. The combination of diet and exercise is the best way to control diabetes symptoms in patients that are not insulin dependent. Each patient should consult their doctor before starting their exercise routine because exercise that is too intense can actually raise blood sugar levels.

Exercising for less than 20 minutes at a time usually causes the liver to release stored glucose for fuel, but a session of at least 20 minutes is more beneficial because it causes the muscles to take in glucose for fuel and lowers overall blood glucose levels. Using a treadmill for regular exercise often allows patients to lower their blood glucose levels enough that their medication levels can be adjusted down or eliminated. Working out regularly also helps to regulate the hormones that induce sleep and allows the patient to sleep better. Regular sleep cycles are another factor that helps keep blood sugar levels in the body stable.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your exercising in whatever you choose to use to help you with your weight loss or maintenance.  Have a wonderful and blessed day.

Day 21 - Staying On The Diet and Getting Healthy!!

Here it is another day and another 1 lbs.  I have now lost 18 lbs in 21 days.  Not bad at all.  I am really learning about each vegetable and their health benefits.  These are food items I had been consuming but only as a side dish.  I knew vegetables are good for you especially carrots, but I never realized how beneficial they are until I started reading more about it.  If you have noticed I have not included potatoes.  I love potatoes!!  I will be reading more on their health benefits before I include them in my daily diet.  I know that potatoes has alot of starch and I did not want to add them to my food groups I have now.  

I started out with green apple juice.  Boy, it is so delicious having it in the morning to begin my day!  

Here is the recipe for my Bok Choy juice. I made this for lunch and dinner.

8 leaves of Bok Choy

1 cucumber

5 carrots

3 celery stalks

1 large tomato

It made a delicious green drink.  Dark green vegetables are very good for us.  Read on the health benefits of Bok Choy.

In structure, bok choy resembles collards and could be described as a non-heading cabbage (Acephala group). It is basically a small plant which grows upright from the ground with smooth white romaine lettuce like stalks which spread in the end to fine, glossy green oval or round leaves. Fully grown up plant may reach about 12-18 inches in length.
Brassica campestris group can be further categorized according to the color of the petiole in its leaves. White petiole varieties include joi choi, pak-choy white, prize choi, lei choi, taisai, canton pak choi…etc. Green petiole types are chinese pak choi green, mei qing choi…etc.

Health benefits of bok choy

• 
  It is one of the rare vegetable that is very low in calories. However, it is very rich source of many vital phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.
• 100 g of bok choy provides just 13 cal. It is one of the recommended vegetable in the zero calorie or negative calorie category of foods which when eaten would add no extra weight to the body but in-turn facilitate calorie burns and reduction of weight.
• Like other brasisca family vegetables, bok choy contains certain anti oxidant plant chemicals like thiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and isothiocyanates. Along with dietary fiber, vitamins these compounds help to protect against breast, colon and prostate cancers and help reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol" levels in the blood.
• Fresh pak choi is an excellent source of water soluble antioxidant, vitaminC (ascorbic acid). 100 g provides 45 mg or 75 % of daily requirements of vitamin C. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals. 
• It has more vitamin A, carotenes, and other flavonoid polyphenolic anti-oxidants than cabbage, cauliflower...etc. Just 100 g of fresh bok choy provides 4468 IU or 149% of daily required levels vitamin A.
• Pak choi is very good source of vitamin K, provides about 38% of RDA levels. Vitamin-K has potential role in bone metabolism by promoting osteotrophic activity in bone cells. Therefore, enough vitamin K in the diet makes your bone stronger, healthier and delay osteoporosis. Further, vitamin-K also has established role in curing Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.
• Fresh bok choy has many vital B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B6), riboflavin, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that our body requires them from external sources to replenish.
• It also contains good amount of minerals like calcium, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, iron and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzymesuperoxide dismutase. Iron is required for the red blood cell formation.

Thanks for stopping by and being part of my Fresh Start Journey program.  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!!