A few of my favourite things...

A few of my favourite things….I can't help but have the Sound of Music tune run through my head… "raindrops on roses…and whiskers on kittens..".

 Anyway..

Here are a few of my very favourite products for the last couple of months.

My hair was having a hard time this winter..getting dry and frizzy looking and this Nourishing Oil Care shampoo and Treatment Conditioner from Dove has made my hair so soft and silky. So if you're looking for a great shampoo/conditioner combo on a budget don't hesitate to get this one. I think it works easily as well as many high end shampoos and conditioners so save your money and go with this one instead. 

Next is an old product that I somehow didn't know about before but is freaking awesome. I use this after curling my hair….just a little dot, rub my hands together and then run my fingers gently through my hair. It really is a secret weapon…I get beautiful curls/waves with no frizz at all, and it lasts. I will always have this product in my arsenal from now on.

Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Finishing Creme

And when I'm done styling I use this Garnier Fructis Hold and Flex hairspray. I don't like crunchy hairspray whatsoever so this is perfect for me. It holds the style but doesn't feel like you really have anything in your hair…no crunch, no build up….and it smells GREAT!

 And this might be a little random but I love this new Coconut Water Hydrating Body Wash from Dial. It smells great and doesn't dry my skin out at all, also lathers really well. Big thumbs up!

 The next couple of things are on the pricier side, but I think they are worth the splurge. This GlamGlow Exfoliating Treatment is awesome, truly…I use it once a week and my skin is smooooooth. They call it YouthMud and it really does make a difference, unclogs and tightens pores and makes your skin youthfully smooth. Try it, you'll love it.

The face cream I have been using is very pricy, more than I would normally spend but wow what a difference. As you can see it is a sample size, and if I hadn't had it given to me as a sample I probably would never have tried it but this Renergie Lift Multi Action creme from Lancome makes my skin soft like a babies, I kid you not. Haha…see what I did there? Baby..kid…yeah. It does tighten and tone too and having had a birthday this month I'm all about the tightening, toning, and anti aging.

A little does go a long way but I'm coming to the end of this sample so once I figure out which kidney I'm going to sell then I'll head out to pick up a full size one.

I only use this at night as I like a very light moisturizer during the day, and I love my Philosophy Hope in a Jar for that.

While my go to shadow palette will probably always be the Naked Palette from Urban Decay I do occasionally (ok, more than occasionally) like to try out some new stuff and I have really been enjoying this Designer Chocolates quad from Maybelline. The colours are pretty, as well as complimentary to almost anyone as they are nice set of neutrals.

And I had to add in this watch my sister got me for my birthday, isn't it cute??

So what have you been loving lately, anything I should be trying??

A few thoughts on my juice fast

I did six days of fasting in total and lost 10.2lbs. I have been eating carefully for the most part since I stopped and haven't gained any weight back….I haven't lost anymore either but I'm ok with that, I was really worried about gaining weight back after fasting.

Here are some of my observations about the juicing:

1. It provides very fast weight loss which is very motivating and for me is what helped me stick to it. 

2. While hunger is the worst at the beginning and gets easier as the days go by it never went away for me. This could be because I only fasted for six days but I was hungry pretty much the whole time, it just varied in intensity.

3. I was cold most of the time. This could be because my metabolism was slowing right down and I wasn't burning nearly as many calories but I was in sweatshirts, socks and slippers the whole time. I don't normally care for herbal tea very much but I did drink it because it helped warm me up.

4. Remember to take in at least 64oz of juice and the same in water to keep yourself properly hydrated, this will help with headaches.

5. I didn't have a lot of energy and overall felt quite weak.

6. Lemon and ginger added to most juices are so yummy and refreshing, not to mention good for you so don't hesitate to throw some in the mix.

7. Although it was difficult I would do it again. I think it's a good way to detox, reboot and kick start weight loss.

I am continuing to juice for the health benefits but I am also eating healthy as well. I get more veggies into myself this way as there is no way I could eat the amount that I am juicing.

I watched another documentary on Netflix called Hungry for Change and I highly recommend you check it out too:

It will motivate you to change up your diet and add juicing in as a way to up your nutritional intake.

I intend to do another juice fast again in the near future in order to keep my weigh loss going down. How about you? Have you tried juicing? Do you plan to?

Here's to our health!

Juicing days 2-4

I'll start with the best part, down 8.6 lbs in only three days. That's crazy! But very motivating and you need that kind of motivation to get through the first few days. I would definitely recommend mentally preparing yourself before taking on a juice fast because it's not easy. The first day was the hardest for me hunger wise and each day has gotten steadily better. It's the morning of the fourth day right now and I did wake up feeling hungry, my stomach was actually rumbling, but I've had two glasses of juice and I'm now drinking water and I feel pretty good.

I've been trying to really switch up the colours so I know I'm getting a variety of nutrients. I juiced a half a purple cabbage this morning and the juice is a beautiful deep deep purple.

This is a mix of carrots, orange bell pepper, cucumber, orange, apple and parsley...

This is spinach…

This is a mix of several different things with spinach being the base...

You are supposed to drink at least 64oz of juice per day as well as the same amount in water. This 2 liter jug is 66oz and I've been drinking it everyday. I find it easier to blend everything up in the morning so that way there is only one clean up. I don't have a specific time or amount I drink, I just kind of drink it all day long. The juice is good in the fridge for three days but I only make up a day at a time.

A couple of things I have noticed over the last three and a half days….

Day 2 and 3 I was freezing cold, just couldn't warm up. I had the fireplace going, sweaters and big booty slippers but still brrrr! I'm not sure why that was….metabolism slowed right down? Not burning nearly so many calories? Today I feel warm, almost too warm.

Day 1 and 2 I had a steady headache…right on through until I woke up on in the morning on day 3. I took some painkillers as it was making me irritable and that helped. I also upped my juice and water intake which I think was good for the headache as well.

 Day 2 and 3 I felt a bit foggy and today (day 4) I don't feel foggy but my back is killing me, right between my shoulder blades in the middle of my back. I'm clearly going into a healing crisis.

A friend sent me this interesting link to the different stages of a juice fast detox and if you are doing this with me, or planning to do a juice fast in the future you should definitely read it.

I tried some ginger in my juice this morning and it was so good. No need to peel, just throw a hunk in there, very refreshing!

I'm loving the interaction on the Random Thoughts Facebook page, if you haven't already please be sure to "like" it and share your juicing experiences, and sharing in the comment section below is most welcome too.

Juicing begins...

So I decided to do it. The documentary really inspired me. I spent a few days enjoying one juice a day for the health benefits, enjoyed a food frenzy of birthday celebration over the weekend and then yesterday started full on juicing.

I stocked up on fruits and veggies…

Got myself a juicer (I love this one by the way, the only drawback is it fills up with pulp fairly quickly and needs to be cleaned out before you can go on)…

And started making juice…

They aren't pretty, in fact Ella said it's a good thing they taste good because they look like swamp water, and she's right. They do taste good though, apples, carrots and pineapple are a great way to sweeten things up a bit.

I've been juicing a lot of spinach because it's on a great sale right now and it's just so darn good for you.

I made the mistake of juicing an orange without peeling it and I'm passing this on to you…don't do that. Lemons seem to be ok but orange peel is very bitter and even with a few extra apples the aftertaste of that juice was not pleasant.

Apples, carrots and cucumbers give you a ton of juice, spinach is pretty good and you get almost nothing from kale….which could be a good thing because it's not delicious and is better in small quantities. 

Remember to juice a lot of different colours (doing beets today) and really "taste the rainbow" to borrow the skittles line. The more variation in colours the better.

I've had a lot of people ask me what the difference is between juicing and blending and I've borrowed this great explanation from the Juicing for Dummies Facebook page:

What’s the difference between juicing with a juicer and making fruit and veggie-based drinks with a blender.

Both are amazing additions to any diet.

Juice allows us to work with the freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs to create drinks that are deliciously vibrant, deliver an amazing nutritional punch and are incredibly easy to digest.
Smoothies have their place in a daily menu as well. They can offer fiber, good fats and opportunities for adding more protein into your diet all while tasting deliciously decadent.

So what’s the difference?

When people ask me what the difference is I love to use the example using carrots. I can juice 2 pounds of carrots and drink them but there is no way I can blend 2 pounds and drink them.

JUICING

When you juice you push clean produce through the chute of a juicer. This process removes the insoluble fiber (but the soluble fiber remains in the juice). Important micro nutrients typically more difficult to absorb become accessible to the human body. These nutrients include digestive enzymes and certain. Also, by creating an all liquid product, the body and consume more of these phytonutrients at once.

It amazes new Rebooters sometimes how small the juice yield is from vegetables like kale, and makes it clear that it’s a lot easier to drink a head of kale than to eat it! 

BLENDING

When you make smoothies, you load up a blender with clean, fresh or frozen fruits, and green leafy veggies and liquid like coconut water, juice or almond milk. You can also add ingredients like almonds, hemp or soy milk, cacao nibs or chia seed for fun.

When you drink smoothies, your body benefits from the phytonutrients found in the skin and flesh of fruits and veggies. You also benefit from the large amounts of fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables. Fiber is important for regulating blood sugar, keeping bowels regular, aiding in hunger control, and it may help prevent certain types of cancers.

Nutritional Tip
Remember: some juices and smoothies are meant to serve as full meals, while others are supplements. It’s important to look at your entire diet each day to ensure you are meeting your body’s nutritional needs while keeping your caloric intake in check.

Both smoothies and fresh juice can be a healthy and delicious way to boost the amount of micro nutrients.

Yesterday was not easy, I was really hungry but it seemed to come in waves. I would feel like I was starving but it only lasted a few minutes and would go away but it happened fairly frequently and by the end of the day I had a mild headache. Making spaghetti dinner for everyone was difficult but I did it. I had a great sleep last night and woke up three pounds lighter this morning. It's only just after 10am here but so far so good today, I don't feel too bad. Talking to others it sounds like the first 3 to 4 days of a juice fast are pretty difficult but after that you feel really good, I can't wait to get there.

If you are juicing with me I hope things are going well for you (please share in the comments section below!) and if you're not and would like to please follow along with the blog and "like" the Random Thoughts Facebook page as I will be posting regular updates there.

Here's to a healthy 2014!