40-Day Sweet Tooth Detox

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I never really took Lent sacrifices seriously. Growing up Catholic, I was used to the no-meat-every-Friday routine and one-meal-a-day fasting for holy days of obligation. Honestly, the tradition meant nothing to me. I was never a big meat eater anyway, and could last a day with just small snacks--no full meal necessary.

This year though, has become a year of detox. I really enjoy and find true results in juicing and cutting down on the bad stuff. This year's Lent, I decided to use the occasion to take matters on a more spiritual perspective, to really dig deep and think of things on which I have become extremely dependent.

The funny thing is, although I enjoy green juices and loading up on clean, whole foods, I would constantly shrug off the fact that my body is still pretty saturated with the bad stuff, that is, in the form of sweets.

Calling me a sweet tooth is an understatement. I actually think I have an addiction to processed sugars. Candy bars, store-bought chocolate, gummy bears, ice cream, and, my biggest weakness -- chocolate robin eggs -- are only a few of the things you can find in my secret stash. Yes, I do have a stash of sweets at home that I regularly dig through for a much needed daily sugar fix. It's that bad.

And so this Lent, after 29 long years, I have finally decided to sacrifice the one thing I was never willing to give up -- until now.

My husband, who is a health practitioner, noticed that although I drink so much more water than the average person (I normally drink about 3 liters of water a day), I still feel thirsty throughout the day. He's thinking that my body is probably taking in too much sugar than my system could process, making my blood thicker. He even blurted out the worst possible diagnosis, the one diagnosis I fear...

Pre-diabetic.

Of course, it was just a hunch. But it was a hunch strong enough to ruffle my sugarcoated feathers.

I also want to tackle the deeper side of a detox, as detoxing should not stop on the physical. I wanted to explore how giving up sweets for 40 days could enhance my emotional and spiritual journey.

Sugar is -- as silly as this might sound -- a huge part of my life. It's a part of me, kind of like an extra leg. Experts would call dependencies a crutch, and I think that's exactly what sweets are to me. I dig through my stash because a bar of chocolate makes me feel relaxed after a long, tiring day at work. Cola flavored gummy candy gives me a wonderful high. I depend on sweets to feel better, and that's definitely a crutch.

It would be a real struggle giving up sweets for 40 days, and how I could fill that emotional void with something else. In the words of Make It Blissful's Martine: "...it's going to be a struggle. And that's good, because then I'll have the space I need to grow."

(Check out Martine's own journey to a Lent detox here)

I am currently on Day 3, and so far, I haven't had any real cravings yet, which I am very grateful for. I think I'm about to binge on pears tonight, though. For some reason, I am starting to crave fruit.

Are you doing a detox or Lent sacrifice this year? Let's support each other!

Green Addiction

The green smoothie and juicing trend is one health fad that I personally love. That's a lot to say from someone who hates eating vegetables as much as I do.

Fun Fact: Did you know that I was once a vegetarian? Not anymore, obviously.

Green smoothies don't just give me my dose of fruits and veggies for the day; this practice also helps me feel less sluggish, which is what I always feel when I don't get enough fruits and veggies in my diet... which used to be almost everyday. I also noticed that it gave me healthier digestion.

There's a whole bunch of green smoothie and juice recipes out there, but I normally stick with these two.

Warning: They can be addicting.

Also, if you are making smoothies, blend all these ingredients with filtered water or coconut water. The amount will be based on your preference for consistency.

This green summer smoothie has a bunch of my favorite summer fruits and veggies. It's refreshing and quite filling. Cucumbers are my favorite veggie to add to any green smoothie to make it taste a lot more palatable. Spinach is my go-to green smoothie base, and also my favorite green leafy veggie of all time. My least favorite portion of this smoothie are the celery stalks. I'm not the biggest fan of celery, but it helps reduce the acidity in my body (I have very bad occasional acid reflux).

Blend all chopped fruits and veggies until smooth. The banana and strawberries add a wonderful sweetness to it.

This next recipe is derived from Hungry For Change, specifically from their 3-Day Detox Plan which I love to use after a week of unclean eating. You can definitely make this into a smoothie instead of a juice, but my blender cannot properly incorporate the fiber from the apples, making it harder to consume. If you have a top-of-the-line blender, this recipe will work great as a smoothie.

I love this green juice because it's simple yet so energizing. Did you know that apples are a great substitute for coffee? This gives me more energy in the morning than a regular cup of joe, believe it or not. My favorite part of this juice is the parsley. I never would have thought of including parsley in a green drink -- reminds me too much of unnecessary garnish -- but it adds the most amazing, refreshing flavor to it, so do not skip the parsley. You can also add lemon juice to this recipe.

Random Green Smoothie and Juicing Tips I've Learned Through The Years:

• Prepare your smoothie the night before. You can store them in your fridge overnight, grab them in the morning, and go. If you want to prepare it fresh, chop up your fruits and veggies the night before, and blend in the morning.
• Use frozen fruits for an instantly cool and refreshing drink. I especially love frozen bananas and blueberries.
• Rotate your greens. I learned this from Raw Family. It has something to do with the alkaloids found in green leafy vegetables. If you consume just kale or just spinach for weeks, these alkaloid levels may accumulate unnaturally in your body. It won't be pretty.
• Don't use starchy vegetables in your smoothies like broccoli, carrots, beets, zucchini, etc. It will not respond well when combined with the fruit. Although, I think it's different when you juice these starchy veggies, because I do enjoy a juiced beet or carrot.
• One smoothie equals one meal. Don't take it as a beverage with another meal. Although I think you should not substitute juices for meals, either. There's that fine line between smoothies and juices: Smoothie = meal; Juice = Supplement to a Heathy Meal.
• Too many ingredients in one smoothie is overkill. Plus, it's going to taste weird. The simpler and fewer ingredients, the better. According to Raw Family, too many ingredients will slow down the absorption of the smoothie in your digestive tract, and may cause irritation and gas. Who wants that, and a horrible tasting smoothie?!

A glass or two of blended/juiced fruits and veggies a day, keeps the doctor and constipation away. Good luck!