Loose Skin After Weight loss, Days 13, 14, and 15

The magical thing about going on raw foods and juicing is you release weight fast. You feel great! If you don't have much weight to release, you can sometimes end up on the thin side. If you have a lot of weight to release you can run into a problem of loose skin. The good news is, there is a solution.


Throughout my juice feasting, I have a daily routine of skin brushing. Prior to showering, I would take a shower brush and brush in circular motions from my feet to shoulders avoiding my face. This process does a number of things. Here a list of a few:

Increases circulation and blood flow
Enhances detoxification
Exfoliates dead skin
Speeds up the regeneration of new skin
Helps to firm and tighten skin

Loose skin happens, however, over time it will regenerate. The older we get the longer it takes.
I remember what my skin around my tummy looked like after having children. I didn't know then what I know now. I didn't do anything and yet my skin eventually regenerated itself. Taking care of our skin is very important. One of the things I practice is to not put anything on my skin that I can not eat. Your skin is like a sponge. Whatever you put on it absorbs right into your body. After showering, I apply organic raw coconut oil to my skin. This is the same coconut oil that I use to prepare my meals. I have one jar for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. I also practice drinking plenty of water. Another good practice is sweating. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and it functions just like your liver. Pamper it and love it.

Days 13, 14, and 15,
There has been any significant events with my juicing these days. I have lost weight and I am noticing subtle changes in my appearance. The loose skin was to be expected. I have a a little detox rash developing on my tummy. I think I am super detoxing after using increased amounts of spirulina in my juice. I not sure how much longer I am going to continue juice feasting. Perhaps another week. My weight is starting to reach the low range and that is an indication to start refeeding my body. When I began my last juice feast, I weighed so much more and much to release. I have far less to release on the juice feast.


love to all.

Days 8-12 and Enemas

Hi My Friends,
It's been 5 days since my last post because I've had some computer issues...don't you just love when that happens? Anyway, I am back and today is Day 12.

I wanted to talk to day about enemas. It can be quite embarrassing and gross to some and of interest to others. Whatever place you find yourself, I will be providing, for you, vital information on the benefits of enemas.

When I started my first Juice feast, I had done a lot of research first. Juicing for 3 months is a long time and I wanted to be sure i was safe. One of the recommendations in the first month was daily enemas. I had never had an enema in my life and was not keen on doing one either. I am here to tell you that my thoughts and feelings about enemas had changed. I learned why enemas were so important to the juice feast. Once I did it, I wondered why I hadn't done it before. The video below explains why.



Until next time,
Stay healthy

DETOXING

Hi Friends,
While I enjoy the wonderful benefits of juicing, The symptoms of detoxing is not my favorite. I know this must happen in order to heal the body. The symptoms can go anywhere from mild to intense. Here is a list of what to expect while the body is going through detox.

Headache
Fatigue
depression
anxiety
Food cravings
Chills
Restlessness
Insomnia
Edema
Dry skin
Dizziness
Rashes
Coated tongue
Bad breath
Nausea
Stomach cramps
Loose stools
Body odor
Mild body aches

Day 7: Today I had lots of energy and felt fantastic. I guess it's because I was experiencing any
noticeable detox symptoms today. As for last night, I couldn't wait to go to bed. After having only mild detox, during the early part of the day, The evening changed rapidly. I had stomach cramps, fatigue and an awful taste in my mouth. I wanted to go to sleep but felt so restless. I knew what was happening to me and in knowing that I made myself relax by deep breathing. Finally I went to sleep. Today was awesome! My only concern is that yucky taste I have. I brush my teeth and I use a tongue scraper, yet it's still there. I try not to get too close to people when I talk because I'm concerned the will notice it too. One of the things I found that helped was frequent sips of water. I ran out of organic coffee today so my daily morning enema was water only. I still got good results, however, coffee really does the job. Tomorrow I will discuss a little more about enemas.

Until next time,
Peace

Weight Release

Me before my raw food lifestyle and the 2008, 92 Day Global Juice Feast at 175lbs.


















Me, just a few days after completing 92 days of the 2008, 92 Day Global Juice Feast at 125lbs.









Hi Everyone,
Today I would like to share more about my experience with weight gain and weight loss. I have a history of being a compulsive overeater as well as a compulsive undereater. Although I was never considered obese, I did become overweight. Being overweight would trigger me to undereat to point of anorexia. It was a never ending battle. It wasn't until I discovered the raw vegan way of eating, that made the cycle end for me. I am not going to say I didn't have to work at it. When I started out, I was 175lbs, more than I wanted to be and more than what was healthy for me. I had a lot health problems in addition to the weight. My emotional health suffered too. I was often depressed and my self esteem very low. Embarking on the raw food lifestyle not only gave me a healthy way of eating, it lifted my spirit. I felt good about myself for the first time in many many years. I was not afraid of food any more. I reached a weight goal that I was very happy with. I maintained my weight goal for 3 years and then for some odd reason I started to slowly creep back up. What I didn't realize, was that I wasn't paying attention to my eating anymore. While I was still eating raw food, I wasn't eating consciously. I was eating healthy but I let the sometimes stress in life get in the way of my eating. Eating raw nuts and seeds became overeating raw nuts and seeds as well as avocados and the overuse of oils. Part of my disease of 0vereating is eating away my emotions and I found a way to do it with raw food. The good news is I never gained back the weight I started with. Most individuals on a standard american diet who go on a weight loss plan will do well if they stick to the plan. As soon as they come of the plan and resume old eating habits, they gain all of the weight back and then some. That didn't happen to me on raw food and that's a blessing. The increase in weight that I experienced was minimal and easy to manage. All I need to do is to adjust the type of raw foods that fit my personal health needs. Everyone is different metabolically. I've always had a sluggish digestive system and to many dense raw food slow me up even more. Juice feasting is my remedy and I have already released weight in just 6 days. My plan of action, when I resume eating, is to eat like I juice to maintain my new weight.

Day 6: I slept well last night, even though I had to get up around 3am to got to the bathroom. Lot's of liquid flowing through my system. My kidney's are getting an awesome flushing. Didn't do an enema this morning, however, I plan to do one early in the evening before my dinner juice. I noticed that my body is shedding old dead skin...awesome! I've been helping it along with a dry skin brush before my shower. My skin feels so smooth. I'm not sure if I'm going to do a full 92 days of juicing. It will depend on my weight. I may end up releasing to much weight by day 92.

Please feel free to comment and ask question. :)

Until next time,
Blessings

July! A perfect time to Juice Feast!

Hi My Friends,
Guess What? I'm Juice Feasting again and I'm on Day 5! I've done some short term juice feasts here and there for two to three days, but this will be an extended one this time. My last extended juice feast was in March 1st, 2008, where I completed 92 days. It was incredible. Now with the weather temps, here in Phoenix, AZ, anywhere from 105-110+ for the next few months, it's a perfect time to juice. It is so easy to get dehydrated here because of our low humidity. It is essential to keep yourself hydrated no matter what your weather conditions are. Our bodies need fluid to function properly. My body also needed a reboot. The wonderful thing about juicing is the raw, fresh, nutrients from fruit and vegetables gets quickly and easily absorbed. The water content cleanses and flushes the digestive system while easing up on it's digestive work load. Just like my 2008 Juice Feast, I will be sharing my experiences you, so, this is how my last five days have been.

Day 1: Is always the hardest because that's when I experience food cravings the most. I managed to get through the whole day without throwing in the towel. My best way of coping with my cravings, by the way is a symptom of detox, was to not expose myself to social situations that involved food. I also did not watch television of which you are bombarded with food commercials. I also made it a me day. I was important for me to be alone as my body embarked on it's new journey. Starting on the weekend is very important for success I happened to be off on Friday.


Day 2: The morning and well into the afternoon went very well. I think it's because I was never one to awaken with hunger in the morning. My appetite usually doesn't kick in until about lunchtime or later. It was later this day, around the dinner hour that the cravings started, however, they were not nearly as intense as Day 1. Breathing and drinking my daily amount of juice got me through. I even attended a drumming circle that provided a buffet table fill with vegetarian finger food. It was tempting but my desire to juice feast was stronger. The drumming filled my spirit and I even danced to the beat. There was no room within me for sabotage.

Day 3: Today was so much easier. My body has adjusted to the fact that there is no solid food being consumed and my cravings are just a whisper. My preoccupation with food has diminished and now I can focus on the healing benefits of my juicing. I feel more relaxed and I have a good routine with my juice preparation. It can only get better from here.

Day 4: My sleep last night was a little restless. I remembered this feeling from my last Juice Feast. It didn't keep me up all night but I didn't feel as energetic. I also notice my vision is slightly blurry. I may be a little edema as my body adjusts to the extra fluid. This was yet more detox symptoms along with it a yucky taste in my mouth. It looks like I am making progress with the detoxing. Later on, in the evening, I had a date night with my significant other. I brought my two 32 ounce bottles of juice with me so I could have them while he eat food in front of me. He is not a vegetarian, raw vegan, nor does he have the desire to juice. I am on my own with this one. Same as my last one and I did very well.

Day 5: Today was a by far the best day I've had. I feel great! No cravings! I had a little bit of a restless night, yet I don't feel tired at all today. It's the nutrient dense juice that sustains me. I know there will be more detox symptoms along the way, however, I'm armed with my juice. Bring it on! For those who have never Juice Feasted before, I would like to share with you my daily routine.

Upon Wake Up:
Drink 32 ounces of lemon water with MSM (a recommended supplement).

After Drinking All The Water: I do an enema with lukewarm water first and then organic coffee. (recommended and very important). I have to get those toxins out of my colon because my intestines are in a resting state. Not fun but very necessary.

After The Enema: I Juice. I have a Jack Lalane Juicer and I have been happy with it. I would like a more powerful juicer but it's not in my budget at this time. I prepare 3 quarts of fresh green juice and 1 quart of fresh fruit juice. This is my juice for the day. I always add Granny Smith apples to my green juices to make them taste better. Without them your green juice is not as enjoyable.

Now I'm ready for the day. I keep a cooler for my juices and I am able to go anywhere I choose. Have juice , will travel!

I will be posting more about my experiences so please comment if you wish. I will also answer any questions you might have.

Until next time,
Namaste

Weight gain on raw food!!!

When I started the raw food journey, four years ago, I was overjoyed with the amazing amount of weight release I experienced. It was like magic. I never had to measure my food or count calories. It was awesome! Over the past year, I noticed little by little I started to gain some weight back and I was concerned. What was I doing different? I'm eating raw! How could I be gaining weight? What I realized is that my body adjusted to the quality and quantity of raw food and now it does not require as much as it did when I started. The good thing about my weight gain is I am not overweight. When I initially shed the unhealthy 50 pounds, I settled into a weight of 125 and sometimes under. Well, over the past year or so, I slowly started to gain a pound or two here and there. Now I am weighing anywhere from 135 and up. I must admit, 125 pounds gave me a pencil thin appearance, however, for my height of 5'/8", 135lbs looks a lot healthier. The benefit of health overrides my desire to be fashion model skinny...although it would be nice. As I continue my raw food journey I will listen to and feel what my body needs and fine tune from time to time.

Stay healthy my friends,
Tuliza

When you are the only raw vegan.

I have to admit it's not easy being the only one of my friends and family to be a raw vegan. Ever since I began my raw lifestyle, I feel as if I'm from another planet. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way feeling regret. I love the way I eat. I can go out to eat with my friends and family and have no problems. I have, on occasion, found myself in a situation were I was served plate of iceberg lettuce with some slices of waxy cucumbers and tomatoes. I've learned from those experiences to always be prepared. I now keep a cooler bag with me at all times with lots of raw goodies. I make my meals the night before so that I can be ready for just about whatever. You see, the good thing about being raw is you never have to heat up anything...just keep it cold. I had people say they would be bored with eating this way. I am here to tell you that there is just as many recipes for raw food as there is for cooked. I must own at least a dozen raw food prep books, however, many of my recipes are just made up out of my head. I've been asked the question, "do you miss eating cooked foods"? My answer to that is "yes, but I would like to create a raw version of it". The same herbs and spices used to flavor a cooked dish can equally flavor a raw one. All you need is your taste buds.

I find it kind of cute when someone say's "I have some macaroni salad in the fridge and some potato salad for you". I politely say no thank you. I know they mean well, however, cold cooked food is still cooked. I don't think everybody quite gets the raw thing. I would like to point out that I am not one of those preaching vegans that makes everyone feel bad that they are omnivores. I believe in coexistence. In my last post, I mentioned eating some cooked vegetarian food. It's not that I don't like it. It's that my body has adjusted to this new way of eating and I crave more of it.

I feel everyone of us should be who we are and enjoy it. On that note, I raise my glass of homemade kombucha and say...To Life!

I'm Back

Hi to all my blog followers,
As you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging for some time. My absence has been due to a number of things. I had to close down Sprigs Of This N That, my herbal remedy store along with my website. Then I had to close Emerald Light Circle In The Raw, my discussion board, and last but not least, my Henna By Tuliza website. I tell ya, it's been quite a challenge. I guess life would not be interesting without challenges.

I am so happy to see so many visitors and followers here on Tuliza Is Vegan And Raw. Thank you for taking an interest in my juicing and raw food journey.

Since the last time I posted, I have allowed myself to experience some vegan cooked food during the winter months and some being non-vegan, vegetarian prepackaged foods. Most of you know that I have been 100% raw vegan for four years now. The results of eating these foods, for me personally were not positive. Even though I ate, what most would say, healthy food, My body reacted as if I ate the worst junk food ever. I can only guess it is because my body had become so clean, it would no longer tolerate anything other than raw food without ill effects. The ill effects that I am speaking of is, craving to the point of overeating, weight gain, constipation, bloating and edema. The edema came as a result of too much sodium. It did not dawn on me that it was what I was eating that was the problem. I thought I had made healthy choices. For someone on the SAD(Standard American Diet), I did. I am proud to say that I am now back on track and am 100% raw again. I did, however, gain 12lbs in the process of my indulgence. This is not to say that healthy, cooked and sometimes packaged vegetarian foods are not good for you. It was my own personal experience that convinced me I needed to continue to maintain totally vegan raw lifestyle.

Each day provides a new opportunity for me make fine adjustments in my beingness. :)