Question for Aleesha ..

[KirbyCuke]

Hi Aleesha
I just wanted to say how inspired I am on your success so far,not only with your weight loss but by how much better you seem to feel eating raw,as I see many others on this board do as well.

Im just looking for a quick suggestion on your favorite easy green smoothie,lets say using baby spinach. what else would I mix for it to be healthy and tasty. I just received my vitamix and would love to try making a GS for the first time.

also how does one go about starting a juice feast/fast or a GS fast.how log do you stay on it and what do you eat/drink? also are there are detox symptoms from doing one of these vs just a raw food diet??

I dont have a juicer,only a vitamix,does a vitamix make juice?
can you tell Im so new to this all :)

I still have at least 75 pounds to lose and would love to maybe incorporate these feasts/fasts into my program.

thanks so much for any tips or suggestions you might have
Marcy

[Aleesha Sattva]

I'm so glad I'm able to assist you on your Raw path! Thank you for the lovely comments you made... I have to say... Raw is the way to live forever... I know I will be Raw for the rest of my life.

The one I suggest for everyone who is starting out is:

handful of baby organic spinach
2" of water
2-3 bananas
a little citrus if iron absorption is a concern for you (like a small orange peeled only if the peel is thick, otherwise leave it on - mandrins work perfect for this)
1 c of frozen fruit (blueberries is my fav)

once you get into them. be sure to add a tsp of oil (flax or hemp) and a couple tablespoons of soaked chia seeds.

To start a fast/feast... you just simply do it! Make the decision in your mind and carry it through. My first juice feast was 9 days long, my second (two weeks later) was 8 days. Then I went 100% raw. A few months later I did another short juice feast and then tried a green smoothie feast.

To juice feast with a vitamix you just put everything in there, blend it up and then strain it. A nut mylk bag works as does a paint straining bag from Home Depot (and it's cheaper). Drink the juice and compost the fibre left in the bag (or make flax crackers with it, or freeze it for later - I froze all my fruit pulps to add to smoothies after my juice feast was over.)

Detox happens... no matter what. If you have to detox - eating raw, fasting, feasting on juice or green smoothies will assist you.

Raw foods - lightest detox
Green Smoothie Feast - lighter detox
Juice Feast - heavier detox
Water Fast - heaviest detox

Marcy, being new to all of this I would suggest either a Juice Feast or Green Smoothie Feast. You know your body and you know how 'addicted' to eating you are. If you are really addicted to putting food into your body then start with a GSF - if you don't eat a whole lot as it is, start with a JF. Both will assist you.

What I preferred, was the GSF as I was always full and found the weight melted off of me. I was able to work out every day - whereas when I was JF I didn't have the same amount of energy as with the GSF. I had lots of energy, just not as much. So I didn't work out nearly as much. Much lighter exercise.

Although now that I've done a 45 day JF - I'm loving the added emotional/spiritual detox I gained from it and would highly recommend it to ANY and EVERYone on this planet! We'd have world peace if everyone did an extended JF. I plan on doing many more in my lifetime.

Tailor this for yourself. Read read and then read some more. I read about 18 hours a day for the first months when I went raw... it's all I did. I learned soooooo much.

If you don't already own "Green for Life" (http://www.timelessspirit.com/MAY08/review1.shtml) - get yourself a copy.
"Fasting from an Empty Bowl" (http://www.timelessspirit.com/JULY08/review1.shtml) is another must have IMO.

There are so many wonderful people here with so much information to share... so be sure to read read read :)